By Tom McClimon
July 24, 2006

Forty-five mayors’ executive assistants gathered in New York City July 13 and 14 for the annual Executive Staff Institute. This was one of the largest gatherings of mayors’ assistants from across the country.

Opening the meeting in which he moderated, Conference Executive Director Tom Cochran mentioned that this meeting was different from the previous eighteen annual gatherings. First, it was expanded to cover both federal and state issues; and second, it included as presenters some of the faculty and administration from the Robert F Wagner School of Public Service at New York University. “We are committed to strengthening our relationship with the mayors’ executive assistants and want to work with you in better communicating with you and your mayors,” stated Cochran. “We want to continue to hear from you on ways we can better help each other.”

John Feinblatt, Criminal Justice Coordinator for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, led a discussion of his mayor’s work on tackling the sale of illegal guns. He was joined by Joseph Vince, President of Crime Gun Solutions and Eric Proshansky, Deputy Chief for Affirmative Litigation of New York City’s Law Department. Feinblatt explained the steps the city was taking to curtail the retailing of guns in New York City, ninety-two percent of which originates outside of New York City. The city is also establishing a gun registry, which will be required of all gun violators.

Tyra Liebmann, Associate Dean of the Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service at New York University, joined the participants in the discussions and pledged the School’s support for working with the mayors and their assistants. Joe Magee, Assistant Professor of Management at the Wagner School, led a discussion on power negotiations and offered advice on ways the assistants can better achieve success in their everyday work environment.

The Conference’s Assistant Executive Directors reviewed the status of legislation in each of their policy areas, including such issues as eminent domain, energy, telecommunications, Community Development Block Grant, homeland security, poverty and workforce. Discussions centered on ways the Conference staff and the mayors’ assistants could better communicate with each other and be kept informed on the status of pending legislation.

Conference staff also offered suggestions on the best ways to deal with local press and media. Suggestions were also made on the latest technology and software available to assist them in the jobs, including legislative and communications software. Discussions centered on ways the Conference can better improve its executive staff list serve which is the communications and networking tool used by the mayors’ executive assistants.

To keep appraised of future Executive Staff Institutes and the mayors’ assistants list serve, contact Tom McClimon on the Conference staff at mcclimon@usmayors.org.