Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther Elected New President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Policy Agenda Adopted for the Year Ahead

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria Elected First and Second Vice Presidents on Final Day of USCM's 92^nd Annual Meeting

KANSAS CITY, Mo., June 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) voted to elect a new leadership team and approved a slate of policy resolutions that will serve as the official platform of the organization and guide its advocacy agenda for 2025, a vital window following the presidential and congressional elections in November. The business meeting marked the close of USCM's 92^nd Annual Meeting, which convened nearly 200 mayors from across the country in Kansas City, Missouri.

Columbus (OH) Mayor Andrew Ginther was elected by his fellow mayors to serve as the next President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. President Ginther, who will serve a one-year term, addressed the Conference and spoke about his commitment to bipartisanship and to using the united voice of mayors to solve big problems, such as housing and public safety. See his full remarks here.

"What defines mayors and this organization—perhaps above anything else—is that we put solutions before partisanship," said President Ginther. "We don't have time for petty politics because people just expect us to get things done. And when we work together, when we bring more people to the table, all things are possible."

"The nation's challenges are big enough that they require the collaboration of leaders in both parties, and that commitment to bipartisanship is something that Mayor Ginther is eager to continue for the Conference during his term. Mayors are rightfully eager for it," said Tom Cochran, USCM CEO and Executive Director. "Mayor Ginther knows what this Conference can achieve when everyone works together and calls on their federal representatives to do so as well. Cities and their residents will be better off thanks to Andrew Ginther's leadership at the U.S. Conference of Mayors."

Alongside Mayor Ginther, mayors elected Oklahoma City (OK) Mayor David Holt to serve as USCM's First Vice President and San Diego (CA) Mayor Todd Gloria was elected USCM Second Vice President. The Conference also named new Trustees and Advisory Board Members. 

New USCM Trustees are as follows: 

• Arlington (TX) Mayor Jim Ross
• Cleveland (OH) Mayor Justin Bibb
• Phoenix (AZ) Mayor Kate Gallego

These mayors, in addition to the current elected top leaders and past presidents, make up the USCM Executive Committee.

New USCM Advisory Board Members are as follows:

• Beaverton (OR) Lacey Beatty
• Columbia (MO) Barbara Buffaloe
• Columbia (SC) Daniel Rickenmann
• Hartford (CT) Arunan Arulampalam
• Noblesville (IN) Chris Jensen
• Pensacola (FL) D.C. Reeves
• Tigard (OR) Heidi Lueb
• Troy (MI) Ethan Baker

A major component of today's meeting was also the consideration and adoption of policy resolutions. Throughout the Annual Meeting, the standing committees of the Conference met to propose and advance resolutions on a wide range of priorities for American mayors. Of particular emphasis today, the full Conference adopted strong policy on combating gun violence, addressing the mental health crisis, and continuing to improve cities' affordability and quality of life. Other policies were adopted on issues including climate change, energy, housing, transportation, and the economy. The resolutions adopted today now make up the official policy of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and can be found here.

Finally, Long Beach, CA was announced as the host city for the 2026 Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and Providence, RI will host USCM's 2027 Annual Meeting. As previously announced, next year's Annual Meeting will be in Tampa, Florida.

About the United States Conference of Mayors -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors