A National Discussion on Achieving an American Breakthrough: Mayors and CEOs in Conversation on Equity, Recovery and Growth
Washington, D.C. & Basking Ridge, NJ — On Thursday, October 1st at 2:00 pm ET, the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and Verizon will kick off a virtual roundtable series entitled “A National Discussion on Achieving an American Breakthrough.”
The series, the first of its kind, will include weekly roundtable discussions throughout the month of October, featuring key mayors and CEOs engaged in dialogue on some of the biggest challenges facing America’s cities today.
Hans Vestberg, Chairman and CEO of Verizon, will host all five roundtables to highlight the importance of public-private partnerships and the critical role businesses must play in building a better country for all Americans and future generations.
The first of the series kicks off on Thursday, October 1st, 2:00 PM ET on the topic of Economic Recovery, focusing on how to move forward the nation’s economy following the recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic this year.
Throughout this series, mayors and business leaders will explore the bipartisan policy agenda that USCM outlined in The Mayors’ 2020 Vision: An American Breakthrough and discuss how the public and private sector can work together to address the issues facing America today. Among the topics that will be covered during the month will be dismantling racism, COVID-19, health equity, eliminating poverty and achieving public safety and justice for all.
WHAT:
The first in the series of virtual roundtable discussions featuring Mayors and CEOs on the most important issues impacting America today.
WHO:
- Hans Vestberg, Verizon, Chairman and CEO, Host
- Greg Fischer, Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky
- Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston, Texas
- Kate Gallego, Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona
- Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles, California
- David Gitlin, Carrier, President and CEO
- Joe Berchtold, Live Nation, President
- Andy Serwer, Yahoo! Finance Editor in Chief, Moderator
WHEN:
Thursday, October 1, 2020, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
WHERE:
Pre-registration is required. See this link.
The full schedule of roundtables is as follows:
Roundtable #1: Economic Recovery – Thursday, October 1st, 2020, 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET
- The COVID-19 pandemic pushed America into a quick and deep recession, at a time when the middle class was shrinking and the disproportionate distribution of wealth was already at an all-time high. This session will include discussion of the need for immediate fiscal relief for all U.S. cities, short- and long-term strategies to facilitate rapidly recovering employment and a more equitable distribution of income and wealth, and long-term investments to promote a national economic recovery, including infrastructure investment.
Roundtable #2: Dismantling Racism – Wednesday, October 7th, 2020, 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET
- Systemic racism prevents America from realizing its full potential. This session will cover solutions and a template for cities to support the national and local movements to dismantle systemic racism. Mayors and CEOs will examine the role of racism in public institutions and discuss recommendations to reform historic and current public policies that have led to inequitable outcomes across the country and ensure more equitable outcomes for people of color politically, socially and economically.
Roundtable #3: COVID-19 and Health Equity – Wednesday, October 14th, 2020, 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET
- Until there is a widely available vaccine or treatment, COVID-19 will continue to negatively impact the health and well-being of America. This session will focus on examining federal, state and local public health policies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, ensure a safe economic reopening, and how mayors and businesses can work together to deliver more equitable health outcomes, especially for communities of color that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Roundtable #4: Eliminating Poverty – Wednesday, October 21st, 2020, 2PM ET
- The grind of poverty impedes the dreams and potential of our people. This discussion will focus on solutions to eliminating poverty in America and increasing upward mobility through policy reforms in the areas of education, jobs, workforce disruption caused by COVID-19 and technology, opportunities for youth, and support for minority- and women-owned small businesses. Mayors and CEOs will discuss recommendations on the reforms, resources and private and intergovernmental partnerships needed to implement economic models that create a growing and inclusive middle-class in the United States.
Roundtable #5: Achieving Public Safety and Justice for All – Tuesday, October 27th, 2020, 2PM ET
- Police and community relations is at a critical juncture in America as the nation grapples with racial injustice and social unrest. This session will add to the learnings of President Obama’s 21st Century Policing Task Force and discuss new models for policing in America – including new training and technology innovations. This group will lead conversations on reimagining public safety and the criminal justice system and discuss how to allocate public safety resources to human and social services providers to better address issues facing citizens across the country, including mental health, substance abuse and homelessness.
Media interested in participating should contact Sara Durr at sdurr@usmayors.org.