Washington, DC
December 15, 2011

JFK School

Since 1973, The United States Conference of Mayors has been a partner with the John F. Kennedy Institute of Politics at Harvard providing transition sessions for new mayors. A lot of change has occurred in our cities over the past four decades but there are some basic issues for a new mayor in 2011 that are the same. A mayor loses his or her name; everyone calls the mayor "Mayor." Personal lives are touched; families of mayors are affected. And there are basic necessities that the citizens look to the mayor to provide, such as fire, police, garbage collection, filling the potholes and repairing the buildings and roads. To some cities, snow removal is an issue and to others, floods are a threat. Illegal guns are in our cities and gangs; the mentally ill and criminals terrorize our downtowns and our neighborhoods. And when that major disaster hits you like the 300 mile an hour winds that hit Joplin, Missouri, and another tornado wipes out Tuscaloosa, Alabama, it is the mayor who must rise to the occasion.

Over the years at the JFK School, I have seen new mayors enter our world and many mayors refer back to the transition sessions they attended as most helpful for the political and governing ahead of them. Tom McClimon and I have been the Conference staff for this ongoing partnership. Working with Institute of Politics Director Trey Grayson, Cathy McLaughlin, and Christian Flynn on this 2011 session was most productive. We had a strong group of mayors and we focused on new issues never touched at the JFK School before.

We spent a considerable amount of time on pension reform. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings'Blake gave the new mayors insight and advice on budgetary challenges.

Another issue was social media. This issue is quite personal for so many mayors. Friending on Facebook, replies to emails and using tweets to communicate with your constituents were among many issues discussed during our social media session.

Conference Vice President Mayor Michael Nutter and I, along with Arts Assistant Director Tom McClimon, represented our organization at the public wake and funeral mass for our friend Maggie Daley, who fought so hard against cancer. For nine years, she continued to be strong for the children of Chicago. Years ago, she started an initiative called "Gallery 37" that brought children of all ages and incomes together on a vacant lot in downtown Chicago to use their talents in a most productive way of creating subjects of art in all forms and media.

Mayors went there to see it, and afterwards, Tom McClimon and I worked with Maggie to share the initiative so that other mayors could come and take what Maggie was doing in Chicago back to their own cities. The initiative was replicated in many cities, and even some cities in other nations are now providing more creative opportunities for young people worldwide.

I asked her one day how it happened. She said she was frustrated because there were no creative opportunities being offered to her own children in Chicago. She said all I could take them to was a rock concert and she said she wanted more. And she went to work and got more for the youth.

Gallery 37 has now grown into the initiative "After School Matters" that is much larger and more comprehensive.

The priest said that she was a gift from the city of Pittsburgh. Her contributions were many. But none exceeded the gift of love and example she gave us through her own children. Mayor Daley and Maggie's life were an example for all Chicagoans and all Americans.

The last thing I must mention is that she respected our United States Conference of Mayors and was most generous in expressing her gratitude for what our organization does for mayors. She also respected my staff, and it was a pleasure to work with her. Her standards were high, as were her goals. It was straight business with her and it was such a joy to get things done with her as she brought together all the players in Chicago to make it better for a generation that will be better off because of Maggie Daley's gift.

The spirit of Maggie Daley continues with us and we will continue her work within the Conference of Mayors for the creative future of the young people of our nation.

Our hearts are with Mayor Daley this Christmas. May the outpouring of love for his Maggie and three children give him the strength he needs as he continues his life here on earth without her. Our thoughts are of him and with him.

As we end 2011, on behalf of our officers and staff we wish all of you a great holiday season and new year. January comes and we want to see you at the Conference of Mayors 80th Winter Meeting.

Conference President Antonio Villaraigosa is working hard to produce for you a Winter Meeting that you don't want to miss! So register now and be with all of the nations mayors as we come together to make our voices heard and to learn from one another as we face 2012 with optimism because of what the mayors are doing at the local level to strengthen our cities, our people and our nation.

I look forward to seeing all of you January 18 – 20, 2012 in Washington (DC).