September 20, 2010

San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro was selected to be one of four members of an official Presidential Delegation traveling to Mexico City for the 200th anniversary of Mexico's independence from Spain. The one-day visit concluded with a dinner September 14, hosted by Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

"I'm honored to be part of a delegation commemorating an event that shaped the course of history not only in Mexico, but inÊthe United StatesÊand the world," Castro said. "By virtually any measure - trade, culture or a common history - the relationship between our two nations is inextricably linked."

Des Moines Mayor T.M. Franklin Cownie, a Conference of Mayors Trustee, has been appointed to FEMA's Local, State, Tribal, Federal Preparedness Task Force. The Task Force was specifically charged by Congress with "making recommendations for all levels of government regarding: disaster and emergency guidance and policy; federal grants; and federal requirements, including measuring efforts" and to "especially evaluate: which policies and guidance need updating, and the most appropriate process by which to update them; which grant programs work the most effectively and where programs can be improved, and the most appropriate way to collectively assess our capabilities and capability gaps." Cownie was in Washington (DC) September 14-15 for the Task Force's working session.

President Obama has appointed former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels as Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-fifth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Nickels is currently a Distinguished Urban Fellow for Living Cities, a collaboration of 22 of the largest philanthropies and financial institutions in America. In 2009 Nickels was elected the 67th President of the United States Conference of Mayors.

President Barack Obama has appointed Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN).

The Advisory Committee is a 45-member group appointed by the President to provide advice on matters of trade policy and related issues, including trade agreements. The ACTPN is under the direct supervision of U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, a Cabinet member who serves as the President's principal trade advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on trade issues.

"It is an honor to be asked to serve in this capacity and I believe I can offer a unique voice and perspective to this committee and the President on behalf of the residents and businesses of Central Florida," said Dyer. "This appointment also signifies Orlando's increasingly important role in international tourism and trade."