Transportation, Labor Secretaries to Address City Officials at NLC Conference

WASHINGTON, March 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Local elected officials from across the country are in Washington, DC, this week for the 2012 National League of Cities Congressional City Conference.  Ted Ellis, NLC President and Mayor of Bluffton, Ind., will address delegates Monday morning about NLC's 2012 federal priorities, including comprehensive transportation authorization, preserving funds for hometown investment, protecting local sources of revenue and investing in our nation's youth and workforce.

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During a general session Monday afternoon, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will address transportation reauthorization and infrastructure financing, while Labor Secretary Hilda Solis will discuss accelerating economic growth and reducing unemployment.

Ed Gillespie, former chairman of the Republican National Committee and Terry McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee will also be keynote speakers during the morning opening general session.

During the annual Celebrate Diversity Breakfast on Monday morning, NLC's National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials will honor five city programs with Cultural Diversity Awards for encouraging cultural diversity in the community.  Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia, Pa., will give remarks on leading cities in challenging times, as well as the urgency for developing an agenda to reduce violence among black males.

Also on Monday, Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Marie Johns will address a luncheon of the Women in Municipal Government constituency group.  Johns will give her perspective on successes and challenges of women in leadership positions and her personal experiences as a business leader.

Members of the media are invited to attend the meeting free of charge.  For more information about the meeting or to view a schedule of events, visit http://ow.ly/9cuh4. 

What: National League of Cities Congressional City Conference

When: March 11-13, 2012

Where: Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, DC

Contact: Gregory Minchak, 202-626-3003, [email protected] or Amanda Straub, 202-626-3015, [email protected]  

Monday General Session Speakers

• Ted Ellis, NLC President, Mayor, Bluffton, Ind. (9:00am)
• Ed Gillespie, former chairman, Republican National Committee (9:00am)
• Terry McAuliffe, former chairman, Democratic National Committee  (9:00am)
• Ray LaHood, Secretary, US Department of Transportation (3:45pm)
• Hilda Solis, Secretary, US Department of Labor (3:45pm)

Additional Monday Speakers

• Michael Nutter, Mayor, Philadelphia, Pa. (7:30am)
• Ralph Becker, Mayor, Salt Lake City, Utah (11:00am)
• Marie Johns, Deputy Administrator, Small Business Administration (12:30pm)

Monday Workshops

Monday, March 12; 11:00am

• Making Great Places by Integrating Transportation, Housing and Sustainability
• Cities and Cybersecurity
• Creating Jobs: Tapping Federal, State and Local Resources to Help Put People to Work
• The Federal Budget: Understanding the Deficit Debate
• The Housing Debacle: What's Working, What's Not and What Can Cities Do About It?

Monday, March 12; 2:00pm 

• Federal and Local Tools to Finance Water and Transportation Infrastructure (repeated Tuesday, March 13; 10:45am)
• Maintaining Public Safety Amid Cutbacks
• Connecting the Dots: Education, Workforce Development and Jobs
• The Court Report: What Cities Need to Know

The National League of Cities is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

www.nlc.org
www.nlctv.org
www.citiesspeak.org
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SOURCE National League of Cities