Washington, DC
June 20, 2003

Hempstead Mayor James A. Garner, 61st President of The U.S. Conference of Mayors

Conference President Hempstead Mayor James A. Garner became the 61st President of The United States Conference of Mayors as outgoing President Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino passed the presidential gavel to our new leader.

Mayor Menino was commended for his leadership over his thirteen month tenure as our President due to the shortened term of former USCM President Marc Morial of New Orleans. Mayor Menino presided over two Annual Meetings, our 70th in Madison and our 71st last week in Denver. A special resolution was presented to Mayor Menino for his hard work in rallying the mayors across the nation toward homeland security and economic security.

Mayor Garner is the first African American Republican to be President of the Conference. He has been active with us on a number of fronts since 1989 when he came to our Annual Meeting in Charleston.

Sometime last year, I began talking to Mayor Garner about his ascension as our President and I asked him at that time what was on his mind as he leads us this year. He had been most active with us on a number of issues over the 14 year period so he's versed on urban and suburban issues across the board. He immediately in his response went to the challenges we face with our environment and began to talk about how we have to look at our metro areas as sustainable development areas. He is a strong supporter and advocate of our metro economies initiative which shows that our metro economies drive the national economy as well as provide a sustainable economic place where citizens can work and live with sustainable incomes and a good and healthy quality of life.

Mayor Garner recognizes that we have a number of priority issues such as housing, transportation, workforce, health, brownfield development and homeland security and he says they all can be incorporated into a theme and action agenda to work toward sustainable development for cities — both urban and suburban — in our metropolitan areas.

He has continued in developing his vision, and when he was appointed by President Bush to represent us at the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development, last year in South Africa, it was through his meetings and discussions with leaders and mayors across the globe that has given him even more strength to lead his sustainable development banner as he goes forth as our President.

For the first time in the history of our organization, he announced his new "cabinet" of Standing Committee Chairs in Denver following his inaugural address. The new and old Task Force Chairs will be announced within days.

In addition to the Garner team he announced in Denver, delegates elected eleven new members to the Advisory Board, a historic turnover of leadership as we go forward.

Special Leadership Meeting - New York City & Hempstead - July 23,24,25

Conference President Garner has called a special leadership meeting in New York City and Hempstead July 23, 24 and 25 for his new Chairs and our newly elected leadership. In his call for this meeting he charges the mayors to come to New York for the beginnings of a metropolitan area urban/suburban action agenda to put forth to Congress and to President Bush and the Democratic Presidential candidates. Mayor Garner wants our issues to be part of the national debate and conversation that will take place as we enter the next Presidential sweepstakes. He will also meet with Congressional leaders to push our agenda on Capitol Hill. In New York City we will set a framework that will be further distilled over the months as we head to our Winter Meeting in January 2004 in Washington, D.C.

More Mayoral Dialogue/Sharing of Best Practices

A number of mayors in Denver offered constructive criticism concerning the need for more dialogue and conversation among mayors when they are assembled at our Annual and Winter Meetings.

I have raised this issue with our new President and we are committed to provide more opportunity for dialogue and learning from mayoral best practices.

Boston Mayor Tom Menino

We thank Mayor Menino for his outstanding leadership as our President and no doubt we will press on with his unfinished agenda for homeland security and economic security for all.

Denver Mayor Wellington Webb

We thank the Webb/Denver Team for our 71st Annual Meeting. It was an upbeat meeting and the Webb legacy success story which we attempted to capture on our film "Webb — The Man and His City — is all there in Denver for us to shout Mayor Wellington E. Webb's praises for his leadership and his accomplishments as he closes out three terms as the Denver Mayor. We thank also First Lady Wilma J. Webb — a true partner who helped make our 71st a stellar meeting!

Our Future/Lets Do It!

And so now we go forth into another year as we have renewed energy and new energy from the mayors who have been with us and the new mayors that are joining us in our cause. President Garner has worked his way to the top. And he has already said and proven he's not going to stop on top. This will be a most active year and he needs your help. Join with us. It is most important that mayors and cities stand united at this critical time and Mayor Garner is committed to bring us together where we will work from the bottom up so that every mayor of this nation will have a place within The United States Conference of Mayors to better his or city for our people in all cities that make this nation the best place on earth to live and work.

If I can be of service to you, please call, fax, or email me at anytime. We need your help. Together we will succeed.