Winter 2023 Meeting

Session Materials and summary

Click on each session title to view its summary, speakers, Briefing Book, and presentation slides. The Briefing Book for each session is a collection of materials relevant to each panel carefully curated by MIP staff, and which typically includes resources from each speaker represented on the panel.

This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.

Leading Under the Microscope

Speakers on this panel represented cities with populations ranging from  30,000 to 300,000 and spoke about crises spanning gun violence to lead poisoning. Throughlines emerged between all of the presentations, specifically around strategies for caring for impacted families and communities, managing national media, and the challenges of conveying leadership while serving as “communicator-in-chief.” They also discussed longer-term responses and decisions on managing the change that needs to happen post-crisis and attracting outside resources to support the community. All spoke to the overwhelming feeling that came when the spotlight hit their community and shared strategies for self and community care, ranging from physical exercise to benefit mental health to proactively creating a process to prepare for incoming open records requests. As panelist Heather Fagen (Orlando, FL) shared, asking yourself “Do I have to make this decision today” was one strategy for helping to manage the overwhelming task list that comes with managing a crisis.

Amanda Hunter, Barbara Lee Family Foundation (moderator)
Sarah C. Peck, Director, Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University School of Law
Heather Fagen, Chief of Staff to Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orlando, FL
Bruno Lozano, Former Mayor, Del Rio, TX
Mike Elliott, Mayor, Brooklyn Center, MN
Dr. Karen Weaver, Former Mayor, Flint, MI

Briefing Book

Presentation Slides

Equitable Solutions for Pedestrian Safety

This session highlighted reasons for the dramatic rise in pedestrian deaths across the country, which communities are being most impacted, and how mayors can work to reverse the trend. Speakers described why the United States is one of the most dangerous developed countries in the world to be a pedestrian, including policy and infrastructure decisions prioritizing cars over people, as well as how mayors can work with their state and federal partners to fund the projects that will create safer communities for everyone. Attendees learned about Albuquerque’s efforts to reduce speed and crashes with near-term low cost/high impact safety countermeasures as well as Somerville’s extensive traffic calming strategy that incorporates things like curb extensions, crossing islands, and raised sidewalks to slow traffic and prevent crashes. Interested in learning how to make your community’s streets safer? Be sure to check out The Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety (MIPS).

Reed Gusciora, Mayor, Trenton, NJ (Moderator)

Beth Osborne, Vice President for Transportation and Thriving Communities, Smart Growth America

Tim Keller, Mayor, Albuquerque, NM

Katjana Ballantyne, Mayor, Somerville, MA

Briefing Book

Presentation Slides

Conscious Leadership in Polarized Times

One of the best and most unique things about MIP meetings is the opportunity for mayors and senior staff to engage in intimate and candid dialogue about the unique challenges they face, and Conscious Leadership in Polarized Times provided a space for sharing, healing, growing, and learning about strategies to advance racial equity in their communities. It also sent mayors home with tangible ideas to implement in their communities, for example former Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges’ recommendation to annually ask your department heads, “If you had 10% more money in your budget, and you could only spend it to increase racial equity in the work your department does, what would you do?”

Dr. Annice Fisher, Developing Capacity Coaching

Betsy Hodges, Former Mayor, Minneapolis, MN and Special Advisor, Mayors Innovation Project

Briefing Book

Presentation Slides

Financing Your City's Future

In this session, mayors took the opportunity to highlight efforts to leverage and braid funding sources to advance equitable resilience, community growth, and economic development strategies. Presenters spoke to the importance of engaging community, collecting and using data, and leveraging unique funding – for example from foundation investments or federal funds – to establish and seed sustainable mechanisms to support long-term affordable housing, flood resilience, local job creation, and equitable economic development. 

Derek Slaughter, Mayor, Williamsport, PA (moderator)

Lourdes Germán, The Public Finance Initiative 

John Hamilton, Mayor, Bloomington, IN

Donnie Tuck, Mayor, Hampton, VA

Briefing Book 

Presentation Slides

Innovation Showcase

The Innovation Showcase, a beloved staple of our in person convenings, is a lighting round of good ideas where city leaders get 3 minutes to share a good idea, policy, program or practice that they’ve implemented or are working to implement. As our gracious Showcase MC, Mayor Victoria Woodards, noted, “the greatest compliment you can give a good idea is taking it home and making it yours!” This year’s showcase featured mayors from around the country highlighting innovative initiatives in their cities, ranging from efforts to meaningfully engage community to regional climate action, and from empowering young women of color to  year-round solutions for seasonal worker challenges. Check out the Innovation Showcase presenter slides to learn more about these efforts and stay tuned for our next opportunity to see – or participate in – the Showcase! 

Presentation Slides

Keynote

We are incredibly grateful to our keynote speaker, Shalanda Baker, Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the US Department of Energy. Director Baker began her address by calling on her personal experience growing up in Port Arthur, Texas, in the middle of what is known as “cancer alley.” This introduction framed her main point: not only do many Americans face energy insecurity, but that people of color are vastly overrepresented among them. Furthermore, Director Baker highlights the importance of viewing this problem as structural – communities of color are at a disadvantage even when controlling for income and homeownership. Only when there is parity in access to capital and job creation and equity is woven into every aspect of every department and program, can the structural nature of energy disparity be properly addressed. Director Baker stressed that mayors have a unique opportunity to support progress on these structural shifts, for example through leadership on programs like Justice 40. 

Presentation Slides

Women Mayors Network

Friday, Jan. 20 – Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023

Thank you to the speakers, sponsors, and attendees who made our Winter 2023 meeting a success! Scroll down to see meeting materials, presentation slides from speakers, and more!

View Final Agenda

 

Thank you to our generous meeting sponsors!

Attendees

Aaron Westling, Senior Associate, Mayors Innovation Project

Alaina Knief, Outreach & Communications Director, Mayors Innovation Project

Amanda Hunter, Research and Communications Director, Barbara Lee Family Foundation

Angela Birney, Mayor, Redmond, WA

Betsy Hodges, Senior Advisor, MIP

Bianca SHulaker, Parks Initiative Lead & Senior Director of the 10-Minute Walk Program, Trust for Public Lands

Bruce Teague, Mayor, Iowa City, IA

Bruno Lozano, Former Mayor, Del Rio, TX

Chasity Wells-Armstrong, Former Mayor, Kankakee, IL

Chris Koos, Mayor, Normal, IL

Christie Baumel, Deputy Mayor, Madison, WI

Crystal Surdyk, Director of Development, Jamestown, NY

Danene Sorace, Mayor, Lancaster, PA

Daniel Biss, Mayor, Evanston, IL

David Post, Councilmember, Salisbury, NC

Derek Slaughter, Mayor, Williamsport, PA

Donnie Tuck, Mayor, Hampton, VA

Dr. Annice Fisher, CEO, Developing Capacity Coaching

Edward Sundquist, Mayor, Jamestown, NY

Elizabeth Osborne, VP for Transportation, Smart Growth America (SGA)

Emmett Jordan, Mayor, Greenbelt, MD

Eric Griego, Associate Chief of Staff of Policy, Albuquerque, NM

Erin Mendenhall, Mayor, Salt Lake City, UT

Farrah Khan, Mayor, Irvine, CA

Friday Ellis, Mayor, Monroe, LA

Gregory Joseph, Communications Director, New Orleans, LA

Harvey Ward, Mayor, Gainesville, FL

Heather Fagan, Chief of Staff, Orlando, FL

Heidi Lueb, Mayor, Tigard, OR

Indya Kincannon, Mayor, Knoxville, TN

Jack Hession, Senior Vice President, Madison Government Affairs

Jameca Patrick Singleton, Executive Director of Community Impact and Strategic Partnerships, Michigan Health Improvement Alliance

Jeanne Brown, Assistant to the Mayor, Chapel Hill, NC

Jen Christy, Mayor’s Communication Officer, Beaverton, OR

Joel Rogers, Director, COWS

John Hamilton, Mayor, Bloomington, IN

John Dickas, Deputy Chief of Staff, United States Staff

Dr. Karen Weaver, Former Mayor, Flint, MI

Karen Alexander, Mayor, Salisbury, NC

Kate Wright, Executive Director, Climate Mayors

Kathy Sheehan, Mayor, Albany, NY

Katjana Ballantyne, Mayor, Somerville, MA

Katrina Thompson, Mayor, Braodview, IL

Katya Spear, Managing Director, Mayors Innovation Project

Keith Gaskin, Mayor, Columbus, MS

Kelly Girtz, Mayor, Athens-Clarke County, GA

Kim Norton, Mayor, Rochester, MN

Kyra Naumoff Shields, Bright Cities Program Director, Healthy Babies Bright Futures

Lacey Beaty, Mayor, Beaverton, OR

Laura Weinberg, Mayor, Golden CO

Leirion Gaylor Baird, Mayor, Lincoln, NE

Leslie Hager-Smith, Mayor, Blacksburg, VA

Libby Anaya, Policy Coordinator, Albuquerque, NM

Lucas Ramirez, Mayor, Mountain View, CA

Lucy Vinis, Mayor, Eugene, OR

Luke Bronin, Mayor, Hartford, CT

Linnette Phillips, Economic Development Director, City of Pontiac, MI

Megan Alter, Mayor Pro Tem, Iowa City, IA

Michael Schnall, Outreach and Engagement Senior Manager & 10 Minute Walk Program®, Trust for Public Land

Michelle Davis-Younger, Mayor, Manassas, VA

Mike Watson, Senior Advisor, American Association for Retired Persons

Mike Elliott, Former Mayor, Brooklyn Center, MN

Miro Weinberger, Mayor, Burlington, VT

Monique Owens, Mayor, Eastpointe, MI

Pablo Aquiles-Sanchez, Research Analyst, Mayors Innovation Project

Paige Cognetti, Mayor, Scranton, PA

Pam Hemminger, Mayor, Chapel Hill, NC

Patricia Lock Dawson, Mayor, Riverside CA

Patrick Wojahn, Mayor, College Park, MD

Paula Pichon, Grants Writer, Jamestown, NY

Pegeen Hanrahan, Southeast Conservation Finance Director, The Trust for Public Land

Rachel Peric, Executive Director, Welcoming America

Ralph Garboushain, Washington Representative, CapitalEdge

Reed Gusciora, Mayor, Trenton, NJ

Richard Sander, Professor, UCLA

Rita Ali, Mayor, Peoria, IL

Rob Breymaier, Director, Community Solutions Collaborative

Rosalynn Bliss, Mayor, Grand Rapids, MI

Sangeetha Rayapati, Mayor, Moline, IL

Sarah Catherine Peck, Director UnitedOnGuns, Public Health Advocacy Institute, Northeastern University School of Law 

Satya Rhodes-Conway, Mayor, Madison, WI

Sofia Aragon, Mayor, Burien, WA

Stellartean Jones, Mayor, Gray Court, SC

Tim Keller, Mayor, Albuquerque, NM

Vicki Scaman, Mayor, Oak Park, IL

Victoria Woodards, Mayor, Tacoma, WA

Virginia Mayer, Executive Director, Democratic Mayors Association

Zach Lax, Founder, Bidmark

Zachary Vruwink, City Administrator, Rhinelander City, WI

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