Today, Mayor Francis X. Suarez was elected by fellow mayors on the Executive Committee of the US Conference of Mayors (USCM) to serve as their Second Vice President for the 2020-2021 term. His election followed an overwhelming recommendation by the Nominating Committee. After the completion of his term, Mayor Suarez will serve as First Vice President and then subsequently as the President of the USCM for the 2021-2023 term, making him the third Latino Mayor to serve as President.
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Mayor Francis Suarez, City of Miami (Photo: Business Wire)
“This is a great honor for Miami, our residents, and the great work we have accomplished together. To receive this vote of confidence from my fellow mayors across the country during my first term is humbling. I plan to honor my colleagues’ trust by working hard, listening closely, and leading with integrity and purpose.”
The US Conference of Mayors (USCM) was formed in 1933 in response to the desperation cities were experiencing in the wake of the Great Depression and has served as local government’s direct line of communication to Washington lawmakers. Today, even as the USCM has grown, it continues to serve as a bipartisan, unified mayoral voice; but also acts just as much as an innovative policy network. Today, the USCM continues to build on that foundation and has grown to represent over 1,400 mayors. As members, mayors are eligible to serve on the Standing Committees that give every city a voice. Cities also share best practices with one another, showcased in various national reports, surveys, and forums. Through organizations such as the Mayors Business Council, mayors work with the nation’s business leaders to provide economic development opportunities for both cities and businesses.
“One of the most underappreciated aspects of this group is the level of bipartisan support they provide. No matter the issue, you have thousands of different perspectives, ideas, and solutions at your disposal. Simply put, this organization makes me, and all the mayors around me, better.”
Prior to his service as Mayor, City Commissioner Francis Suarez championed and secured an innovative and ambitious agenda for cities such as: implementing ShotSpotter technology in the City, a state-of-the-art gunshot detection system; setting up a transportation trust fund, which allocates funds for current and future transit projects; and passing the Reverse Redline legislation, authorizing lawsuits against several major banks for discriminatory mortgage lending practices. Following Miami’s lawsuit, the U.S. Supreme Court subsequently ruled that cities have legal standing to sue banks under the Fair Housing Act for discriminatory lending practices. Prior to being elected as Second Vice President, Mayor Suarez served as Chairman of the Environmental Committee and Trustee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Mayor Suarez has taken a leading role in collaborating with fellow mayors from around the country to adapt and to integrate the environmental and economic development policies that directly benefit the City of Miami. He currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Global Center on Adaptation, as a member of the UN Commission on Climate Adaptation, and as the former President of the Miami-Dade County League of Cities.
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Contacts:
scedro@miamigov.com
