Mayor Todd Gloria to Become President of U.S. Conference of Mayors

City News Service
Posted
and last updated

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria will become the 84th president of the United States Conference of Mayors this weekend at the
organization's 94th Annual Meeting in Long Beach.

``Over the last several years, we have led our cities through moments none of us could ever imagine. A pandemic. Natural disasters. Inflation.
Political division. Violence and grief in our communities,'' Gloria said during his inaugural address Saturday.

``Many of us have gone from celebrating a ribbon cutting in the morning to consoling devastated families later that same night. And in those moments, people are not looking for political rhetoric. They are looking for steadiness. Compassion. Leadership. That is both the privilege and the burden of being a mayor,'' he continued.

Gloria officially takes the helm Sunday, taking over from Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt. He is the first San Diego mayor to hold the position and the first openly gay president of the USCM.

Gloria announced that the agenda for the upcoming year, called ``Mayors Deliver,'' will focus on affordable housing, safe neighborhoods, and lowering costs.

``Years from now, I want future generations to say that this generation of mayors met the moment. That we chose competence over chaos. Action over paralysis. Cooperation over division. That we chose to lead with pragmatism, partnership, and optimism,'' Gloria said. ``Because at the end of the day, the people we serve do not care about political theater. They care whether they can afford housing. Whether their streets are safe. What kind of future their children will have.''

The United States Conference of Mayors was founded in 1932 as the official nonpartisan organization representing cities with populations of 30,000 or more. The organization serves as a national voice for cities and advocates on issues affecting local governments nationwide.