Hundreds of Mayors to Hear From Senator Barack Obama at Annual Mayors' Gathering...

Hundreds of Mayors to Hear From Senator Barack Obama at Annual Mayors'
Gathering in Miami, Fl - June 20-23

Gas Prices, Global Warming & Climate Protection, the Foreclosure Crisis &
Violent Crime Top Agenda with Key Resolutions on Energy, Bottled Water,
Immigration, Iran & Prisoner Re-Entry

WASHINGTON, June 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On the cusp of the general
Presidential Campaign Season, the nation's mayors will hear from Senator
Barack Obama during The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) Annual
Meeting from June 20-23rd at the Miami InterContinental Hotel. Led by
Conference President and Trenton, NJ Mayor Douglas H. Palmer and host Miami
Mayor Manuel A. Diaz, hundreds of mayors will gather to weigh in on a number
of domestic policy issues that impact America's metropolitan areas.

This will be the first time that Senator Obama will address the mayors' group,
which will also debate and vote on specific policy recommendations to forward
to Congress and the new Presidential Administration. With over 85% of people
in the United States living in our nation's cities and metropolitan areas,
mayors understand how urban issues impact everyday Americans and believe the
high gas prices, the foreclosure crisis, vacant and abandoned properties,
global warming and climate protection, illegal guns and violent crime, the
high school dropout rate and public education have been overlooked in the
presidential campaign.
Confirmed speakers include:Former President Bill Clinton, Senator Barack Obama
(IL), Senator Bill Nelson (FL), Congressional Urban Caucus Chair Congressman
Chaka Fattah (PA), Congressman Danny Davis (IL), FL Governor Charlie Crist, PA
Governor Edward Rendell, Toronto, Canada Mayor David Miller, FHA Commissioner
Brian Montgomery, Mortgage Bankers Association Chairman Kieran Quinn, National
Association of Realtors President Elect Charles McMillan, NeighborWorks
America Director Marietta Rodriguez, White House Interagency Council on
Homelessness Philip Mangano and Miami Dade County Schools Superintendent Rudy
Crew.

An advance DRAFT agenda is located on the USCM website with highlights below
at www.usmayors.org. Media representatives will need to pre-register via the
website OR in the Alhambra Room at the InterContinental Hotel starting on
Friday, June 20th to gain access with a valid photo I.D.

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
(All events are at the InterContinental Hotel)

Friday, June 20:
10:00 AM - 11:30 AMCOUNCIL FOR THE NEW AMERICAN CITY MEETING: THE FORECLOSURE
CRISIS
(Flagler)
- Lee Bowman, FDIC
- FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery will speak about The Foreclosure/Mortgage
Crisis
- National Association of Realtors President Elect Charles McMillian
- Mortgage Bankers Association Chairman Kieran Quinn
- NeighborWorks America, National Homeownership Programs Director Marietta
Rodriguez

9:30 AM - 11:00 AMMAYORS WATER COUNCIL MEETING
(Windsor)
- Mayors to debate resolutions that underscore the importance of municipal
water and the possible banning of bottled water in city halls around the
country, in addition to the benefits of investment in public water and sewer
systems.

10:00 AM - 11:30 AMCOMMUNITY TREES TASK FORCE
(Dupont)
Mayors will discuss catastrophic storm recovery tools and effective tragedies
to using native species to overcome environmental extremes such as ice storms,
droughts, wind damage, tornadoes and snow.

12:00 NOON OPENING PRESS CONFERENCE: Climate Protection, Greening of Meeting
(Hotel Patio/ Outside of the Lobby)
USCM President Trenton Mayor Douglas Palmer, USCM Vice President Miami Mayor
Diaz, Advisory Board Chair Seattle Mayor Nickels + several other mayors

12:30 PM - 2:00 PM MAYORS' CLIMATE PROTECTION AWARDS LUNCHEON
(Grand Ballroom)
- Ten leading cities nationwide will be recognized for their innovative
programs designed specifically to increase energy efficiency and help curb
global warming. Two model cities will receive First Place Awards (one large
city and one small city) as well as 8 Outstanding Achievement Award
recipients. The awards will be made out of recyclable materials and is
sponsored by Walmart.

2:30 PM - 4:30 PMDIGITAL LITERACY WORKSHOP
(Trade Room)
How to Build a Globally Competitive Workforce in Your City - Sponsored by
Microsoft; hosted by Miami Mayor Diaz; living room style discussion of digital
literacy and workforce readiness for a deficient school-to-work pipeline.

2:30 PM - 4:30 PMFRANCHISING IN CITIES WORKSHOP
(Flagler)
How to Establish a Business Friendly Environment - Jon Luther, Chairman and
CEO of Dunkin' Donuts will lead a panel of franchise owners re. how to create
a business friendly environment in cities; hosted by Trenton Mayor Palmer

Saturday, June 21:
7:30 AM - 9:00 AMEXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY TREES AWARDS BREAKFAST
(Bayfront)
- Four cities will receive monetary awards for their innovative programs to
help communities plant trees and build urban forests. The award will be made
from recyclable materials and is sponsored by Home Depot.

9:30 AM - 11:00 AMPLENARY SESSION
(Grand Ballroom)
- Video of Outgoing USCM President, Trenton Mayor Palmer & Farewell Remarks
Address: NJ Senator Frank Lautenberg (Invited)

12:30 PM - 2:00 PMCITY LIVABILITY LUNCHEON:
(Grand Ballroom)
Two mayors/cities will win awards for exemplary programs that enhance "quality
of life" and livability for residents in their communities.
- Address: Senator Barack Obama (IL)

2:05 PMPRESS AVAILABILITY (Tentative)
(Sandringham)
The Nation's Mayors will respond to Senator Obama's remarks.

2:30 AM - 3:30 PMCRIMINAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE MTG
(Windsor)
Chaired by Rochester, NY Robert Duffy who is also a former police chief, this
committee will debate resolutions re anti-gang legislation, immigration,
prisoner re-entry and illegal guns.

3:30 PM - 5:00 PMCLIMATE PROTECTION TASK FORCE
(Bayfront B)
Task Force Members will discuss the findings of a recent survey on local
climate protection initiatives, efforts to promote green jobs, and new
partnerships to further local climate protection goals.

3:30PM - 5:00 PM EX-OFFENDER REENTRY TASK FORCE
(Dupont)
- Baltimore Mayor Shelia Dixon and Irvington, NJ Wayne Smith Co-Chairs
- Speakers: PA Congressman Chaka Fattah and NY Congressman Danny Davis re. The
Second Chance Act Bill

Sunday, June 22:
7:30 AM - 9:00 AMMAYORAL LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION WORKSHOP
(Trade Room)
Addressing the High School Dropout Crisis -- Mayors with strong involvement in
their city's education system will discuss ways to improve high school
graduation rates and student readiness.
- Speakers: Miami Dade County Schools Superintendent Rudy Crew (Invited), Los
Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (Invited), Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin
(Invited), Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Columbus, OH Mayor Michael Coleman

9:00AM - 10:00 AMHEALTHY CITIES WORKSHOP
(Dupont)
This session will highlight innovations that contribute to reducing childhood
obesity in cities.
- Speakers: Providence, RI Mayor David Cicilline, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick
Cornett, Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup, Miami-Dade County Schools Jayne Greenberg,
Ph.D., Executive Director Susan Towler, The Blue Foundation for A Healthy
Florida, Inc., Kathryn Bertram, Leadership for Healthy Communities of the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

9:00 AM - 10:00 AMCOMMUNITY/MILITARY RELATIONS TASK FORCE
(Flagler)
The Task Force will review a report on best practices in community & military
relations including initiatives to support military service members and their
families. Examples from Albuquerque, NM, Colorado Springs, CO, Pocatello, ID
and Tulsa, OK will be featured.

9:30 AM - 10:00 AMVACANT AND ABANDONED PROPERTIES TASK FORCE
(Balmoral)
- Chair: York, PA Mayor John Brenner
Mayors will release a survey re. how vacant and abandoned properties impact
cities and tax revenues; Specifically, the survey explores if the mortgage
crisis has affected the number of vacant and abandoned properties in an
individual city, if the crisis has impacted the city's efforts related to
these properties, and if those efforts have lost ground since the crisis
began.

10:00 AM - 12:00 PMPLENARY SESSION
(Grand Ballroom)
- PA Congressman Chaka Fattah - The Mayors' Energy Block Grant (a $2 billion
initiative approved by Congress to help cities increase energy efficiency
programs and local efforts to reduce global warming)
- Toronto, Canada Mayor David Miller - Chair of C40 Large Cities/Climate
Leadership
- Former U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton

Monday, June 23:
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM2010 CENSUS WORKSHOP
(Flagler)
- Cincinnati, OH Mayor Mark Mallory, Moderator
- What can mayors do to avoid an undercount in the 2010 Census? A group of
experts will discuss a number of practical steps that mayors can take to help
their cities avoid an undercount in the next census count.

9:00 PM - 11:00 PMUSCM BUSINESS SESSION
(Grand Ballroom)
- Mayors will debate policy resolutions on controversial topics such as Iran,
Bottled Water and Immigration
- Swearing in of Incoming President, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz & Remarks

2:00 PMMEDIA AVAILABILITY: New Policies Adopted by USCM
(Sandringham)
USCM President Miami Mayor Diaz, USCM Vice President Seattle Mayor Nickels,
USCM Advisory Board Chair (TBD) + several other mayors on key issues

WHO: The United States Conference of Mayors
WHAT: 76th Annual Meeting
WHEN:Friday, June 20th - Monday, June 23rd
WHERE: Miami InterContinental Hotel
100 Chopin Plaza
Miami, FL 33131
305-358-1234

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of
cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,139 such cities in the
country today, each represented in the Conference by its chief elected
official, the Mayor.

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors

Elena Temple, etemple@usmayors.org, +1-202-861-6719, or Carlos Vogel,
cvogel@usmayors.org, +1-202-257-9797, both of U.S. Conference of Mayors