President Emeritus - Cindy Lerner
Former Mayor, Pinecrest, FL
Mayor Cindy Lerner was elected as Pinecrest's third mayor on November 4th, 2008 and re-elected for a second term without opposition on November 6th, 2012. Mayor Lerner currently serves on the Miami-Dade County Community Based Care Alliance, is Vice Chair of the National League of Cities' Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Steering Committee and is the incoming President of the Miami-Dade County League of Cities.
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President - Joe Buscaino
City Council Member, Los Angeles, CA
DNC Executive Committee Member
Councilman Buscaino (bOO-sky-EE-no) is a member of the Los Angeles City Council, elected on January 17, 2012. In addition, he serves as the Mayor's appointee to the South Coast Air Quality Management District as well as on the Board of Directors for the League of California Cities and the National League of Cities.
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President Emeritus - Joe Moore
Alderman, Chicago, IL
Former DNC Executive Committee Member
Alderman Joe Moore has represented Chicago's 49th Ward since 1991. Moore recently served on the Board of the National League of Cities (NLC), a national organization that advocates on behalf of America's cities and towns, and now serves on its advisory council. Moore also served on the Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) where DNC Chairman, Governor Howard Dean, appointed Moore to a newly formed DNC Committee on Budget and Finance.
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Vice President - Suzie Nakasian
City Council Member, Northfield, MN
DNC Member
Councilor Nakasian was first elected to the City Council in 2010. She represents the city of Northfield on the Mill Towns Trail and the Rice/Steele County 911 Joint Powers Board. She also serves on the National League of Cities Committee on Energy, Environment and Natural Resources.
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Representative to the DNC - Greg Pettis
City Council Member, Cathedral City, CA
Councilman Pettis has been a member of the Cathedral City Council since his election in 1994. He has made a powerful impact on the lives of Cathedral City residents by developing a first-time homebuyer program, completing the city's new public library, and assisting the police and other agencies to crack down on drug abuse in the Cathedral City area. He also helped oversee the rejuvenation of the city's downtown area. Greg is currently working on initiatives to improve the health care system, environment, education, and economy.
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Secretary - Patsy Kinsey
City Council Member, Charlotte, NC
Councilwoman Kinsey is serving her sixth term as a member of the Charlotte City Council. In July 2013, Kinsey became Charlotte's second female Mayor after being appointed to the office by her colleagues on City Council to serve out the remaining term of former Mayor Anthony Foxx from July to December 2013. She chairs the Housing and Neighborhood Development Committee and is a member of the Council-Manager Relations and Transportation and Planning Committees.
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Treasurer - Van R. Johnson II
Mayor Pro Tem, Alderman, Savannah, GA
A graduate and former Vice President of Leadership Savannah and a graduate of Leadership Georgia, Alderman Johnson currently works with the Georgia Municipal Association, National League of Cities, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, Fraternal Order of Police, Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, Life Member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP),the International Fraternity of Delta Sigma Pi, Pi Alpha Alpha, and Pi Gamma Mu.
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Finance Chair - Mike Suarez
City Council Member, Tampa, FL
Prior to his election to the Tampa City Council in 2011, Councilman Suarez worked with with Senator Bob Graham's office, eventually taking the Central Florida District Representative position in 1990. Councilman Suarez has served as President of the Guardian Ad Litem Guild (renamed Voices for Children), the subcommittee for Urban Enterprises Initiatives and was Chairman of the Water Resource subcommittee for the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce. From 1997 to 2004 Mike has helped select candidates to the U.S. Naval and Air Force Academies for Senator Graham and since 2005 for Senator Bill Nelson.
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Council of State Chapters Chair - Jim Clarke
Council Member, Culver City, CA
Jim B. Clarke is currently a member of the City Council having been elected in April 2012. Previously, he served as Chief of Staff to two Los Angeles members of Congress – Rep. Diane Watson and Rep. Brad Sherman. His prior experience also includes working as Executive Director of two non-profit organizations and as Managing Associate for the executive search firm of Korn/Ferry International. Jim spent 23 years in active and reserve duty with the U.S. Coast Guard retiring as a Commander.
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Council of State Chapters Vice Chair - Jeffrey Slavin
Mayor, Somerset, MD
Jeffrey Slavin was initially elected as mayor of Somerset in 2008 where he was previously a member of the Town Council from 2002 to 2008. Active in Montgomery County’s philanthropic community and nonprofit sector, he has served on a variety of boards and commissions. He is a member of the Maryland Mayor's Association, has been elected to several terms on the Board of Directors of the Maryland Municipal League and has served as a trustee of the Community Foundation for Montgomery County. In 2011 he was named as the county's Philanthropist of the Year. Jeffrey has been a licensed real estate broker since 1983, and for over 25 years had his own property management company.
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Policy Council Chair - Pam O'Connor
Council Member, Santa Monica, CA
Pam O'Connor was first elected to the Santa Monica City Council in 1994, and recently served her fourth term as Mayor. Council Member O'Connor works with cities throughout the world on environmental, sustainability and climate issues as a member of ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability-USA Board. She is on the Board of Directors of the Local Government Commission, California Transit Association, National Association of Regional Councils and CalCog. She is an active member of the National League of Cities and the US Conference of Mayors.
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Political Council Chair - Wendy Davis
City Council Member, Rome, GA
For more than 20 years, Council Member Davis worked right in her backyard and across North America fostering civic engagement. She's served both the public good in the corridors of power in Washington and Atlanta, and served the public at neighborhood restaurants. Along the way, she played a role in modernizing elections, helped reconnect alumni to her alma mater Berry College and was instrumental in bringing minor league baseball to Rome.
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Political Council Vice Chair - Ian Pfeiffer
Alderman, Annapolis, MD
After many years on Capitol Hill, Alderman Pfeiffer accepted a year-long fellowship and earned a Master's in Public Administration and Politics degree from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University. While in graduate school, he developed the framework for an independent government relations consulting practice that would focus on smaller municipalities, companies, and community organizations, particularly those with transportation projects.
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Alumni Council Chair - Chuck Lesnick
Former Council President, Yonkers, NY
As Council President, Chuck presided over the City Council of New York’s fourth largest City with 200,000 residents and a budget in excess of $900 million. In this position Chuck was also a voting member of all standing committees of the City Council (Chairing at different times Rules, Education, Real Estate, Green Policy and Budget & Finance), the Board of Contract and Supply, the Empire Zone Advisory Board and the Community Development Agency (CDA). After leaving City Hall Chuck was appointed Deputy Counsel and Assistant Commissioner to the NYS Homes & Community Renewal for Rent Administration and also as Governor Andrew Cuomo's Regional Representative for Westchester-Rockland.
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DMO Board Member - Scott Benson
City Council Member, Detroit, MI
Scott Benson is an Urban Planner with a strong commitment to real estate development in Southeastern Michigan. Scott has 18 years of experience in commercial real estate, municipal planning, and the community and economic development industries. Mr. Benson’s most recent experience is with Midtown Detroit, Inc. where he manages small business development in Detroit’s Midtown area by providing technical assistance, financial packaging, marketing support, business plan development and façade grants. Scott is responsible for over $30 million in development, the creation of over 300 direct jobs and 200,000 square feet of commercial and residential space on Detroit’s eastside.
Scott currently serves, and has served on several boards and committees such as: the Osborn Neighborhood Association, International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit, Community Legal Resources, City of Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority’s Community Advisory Committee, Northeast Guidance Center’s Real Estate Committee, and the Shore Bank Enterprise Façade Grant Loan Committee to name a few.
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DMO Board Member - Anita Bonds
City Council Member, Washington, DC
Since December 2012, Anita Bonds has served as an At-Large Member of the Council of the District of Columbia and she is the current Chairperson of the Committee on Housing and Community Development. The Committee has oversight over the DC Department of Housing and Community Development, the District of Columbia Housing Authority, Housing Finance Agency, Housing Production Trust Fund, and the Rental Housing Commission.
Anita has worked on numerous national campaigns to elect Democrats at the national, state and municipal levels. Including; Sen. Carol Mosley Braun, Sen. Edward Kennedy, and Sen. Paul Sarbanes, and served as National Field Director for the Jesse Jackson for President Campaign.
Anita is the current Chairman of the DC Democratic Party and serves on the Executive Board of the Democratic National Committee. Anita is a former Chairperson of the Ward 5 Democrats.
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DMO Board Member - David Mayer
Mayor, Gloucester Township, NJ
In 2010 the Honorable David Mayer became the mayor of Gloucester Township in New Jersey. In 2002 Mayor Mayer was elected to Gloucester Township's Council for one year before running for the State Assembly. He served in the assembly in 2003 and 2005 before returning to the municipal level and embarking on the road to mayor of Gloucester Township.
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DMO Board Member - James Mitchell Jr.
Council Member, Charlotte, NC
A Charlotte native, James Mitchell Jr., a democrat, is serving his first term as an at large council member. He previously served from 1999 to 2013 as the district 2 council member. In 2011, James served as the president of the National League of Cities, only the second elected official from North Carolina to serve as the president in the organization's 92 years. Mitchell currently serves as director of business development for Barton Malow Company, where he is responsible for construction opportunities in North and South Carolina.
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DMO Board Member - Trevor Ozawa
City Council Member, Honolulu, HI
Trevor Ozawa is a member of the Honolulu City Council in Hawaii, representing District 4. He was elected to the council on November 4, 2014, and was sworn into office on January 2, 2015. Ozawa holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Southern California and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School. His professional experience includes working as a lawyer with a specialization in civil litigation.
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DMO Board Member - Bill Peduto
Mayor, Pittsburgh, PA
Bill Peduto was elected to the office of Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh in the General Election on November 5, 2013. He has worked for 19 years on Pittsburgh City Council, as a staffer and Member of Council representing District 8, and resides in the Point Breeze neighborhood of the city. In addition, Bill Peduto has been directly involved in over $2 billion in transformative redevelopment of the city’s East End. Through his many years of work representing and working in City Council, Bill Peduto has had extensive experience in helping transform Pittsburgh’s economy into a Med/Ed New Economy.
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DMO Board Member - Luis A. Quintana
Council Member, Newark, NJ
Council Member Luis A. Quintana has dedicated years of public service to the residents of Newark. He was elected to his first term as council member-at-large in the June 1994 run-off election. He is the first person of Hispanic descent to be elected to an at-large position in the Newark Municipal Council. Quintana was voted council president on September 19, 2013. He became acting mayor on October 31, 2013, and was sworn in on November 4, 2013, assuming the unexpired term of the previous Newark Mayor. He is the first Latino mayor of Newark, the total population of which is one-third Latino.
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DMO Board Member - Jermaine Reed
City Council Member, Kansas City, MO
Jermaine Reed was first elected in 2011 and assumed office as the youngest city council member in Kansas City history! In 2015 he was reelected by an overwhelmingly majority vote to his second term as councilman for the 3rd District. His public-private development model, focused on renewing urban landscapes, has helped revitalize Kansas City’s urban core with more than $100 million in economic development, which serves as a model for urban centers around the nation.
A first generation college graduate, Jermaine received his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Missouri and more recently his Masters of Public Administration from UMKC’s Bloch School of Management. He currently serves as the Chair of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and member of the Small Business, Entrepreneurship & Jobs Committee. He is also on the board of National League of Cities, Mid-America Regional Council, Midtown Housing Advisory board, the American Jazz Museum, and Jazz District Redevelopment Corporation.
Jermaine is also State Director of Young Elected Officials, Board Member of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials and member of several other community organizations.
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DMO Board Member - Mark Stodola
Mayor, Little Rock, AR
Mark Stodola was elected as Mayor for the City of Little Rock, beginning his term in January 2007 and re-elected to a 2nd term beginning in 2011, capturing 84% of the vote. The Mayor has partnered with the State Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Chamber of Commerce to bring over $1 billion in new capital investment to the City and more than 4,100 new jobs since taking office. Currently, Mayor Stodola serves the U.S. Conference of Mayors as Vice-Chair of the Task Force on Immigration Reform and as a member of the Advisory Council, the Community Development and Housing Committee and the International Affairs Committee. In addition, he serves on the Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Advocacy Committee of the National League of Cities. He has worked with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program and is currently a member of the Rotary Club of Little Rock.
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DMO Board Member - Alan Warrick II
City Council Member, San Antonio, TX
Alan Warrick II, a native of San Antonio, was baptized at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church and grew up in his parent’s home on Burleson Street in Dignowity Hill, and with his Grandparents on Chateau Street in Willowwood. After graduating from Florida A&M University with a degree in architecture, he returned home to work under his grandfather in the company Mr. Scott started more than 30 years ago. In 2008, Alan became the CEO of World Technical Services, Inc. (WTS), WTS is a nonprofit organization that provides meaningful employment and training for individuals with disabilities throughout the state of Texas. Individuals with disabilities have much higher levels of unemployment than the non-disabled population; and WTS is a solution for so many people who need a genuine opportunity to succeed. Alan can relate this mission to the work that is needed to advocate and create more opportunities for employment and economic development for the residents of District 2.
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