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City Futures Panel on Democratic Governance
2009 Leadership
Chair Vice-Chair Vice Chair
Don Slesnick Mark Linder Kevin Frazell Mayor Director of Parks and Recreation Director of Member Services Coral Gables, Florida Cupertino, California League of Minnesota Cities Background
The purpose of NLC’s work on Democratic Governance is to help local officials respond to governance challenges. Drawing on case studies of successful projects, the Panel has explored ways to educate, involve, and mobilize citizens in a variety of events and initiatives. The Panel’s research and written materials describe how communities have used democratic governance approaches to address key issues such as:
- Planning and development;
- Race, diversity, and equity;
- Crime and public safety;
- Education and school improvement; and
- Public finance.
Recent activities and products:
Activities and Agenda
- Hold workshops and seminars for local officials at the 2009 Congress of Cities Conference in San Antonio, TX.
- Encourage and enable city officials to enhance democratic governance by articulating and delivering a strong, compelling message, using a variety of venues.
- Work with state municipal leagues and other networks to reach out to a broader array of local officials.
- Work with the Deliberative Democracy Consortium (DDC) on the Democracy Helpline and other key services for local leaders.
- Learning Exchange -- At the NLC Congressional City Conference (CCC) in March 2008, members of the DDC joined members of NLC's Democratic Governance Panel for a discussion of their overlapping interests, including ways to strengthen citizen-government communication and rebuild public trust. The local officials, deliberation practitioners, and academics found they had a lot to offer one another: one of the key conclusions was that local officials could help practitioners ensure that public engagement projects are politically savvy, and that practitioners could help officials ensure that the projects apply sound group process techniques. Read more . . .
Next Meeting of the Panel
November 10-14 -- 2009 Congress of Cities in San Antonio, TX.
2009 Panel Members
Robin Beltramini, Councilmember, Troy, MI Scott Brook, Mayor, Coral Springs, FL Nancy Carter, Councilmember, Charlotte, NC Mary Alice P. Cisneros, Councilmember, San Antonio, TX Henrietta Davis, Councilmember, Cambridge, MA Doug Echols, Mayor, Rock Hill, SC David Goulet, Councilmember, Glendale, AZ Rap Hankins, Councilmember, Trotwood, OH Sylvia Lovely, Executive Director, Kentucky League of Cities, Inc., Lexington, KY Rodney Locks, Councilmember, Brevard, NC Gina Ruffin Moore, Councilmember, Cincinnati, OH Katie Ogden, Youth Delegate, Tualatin, OR (Youth Representative) Lou Ogden, Mayor, Tualatin, OR Bo Perkinson, Vice-Mayor, Athens, TN Sara Presler, Mayor, Flagstaff, AZ Donald Rosen, Asst. Deputy Mayor, Sunrise, FL Karl Skala, Councilmember, Columbia, MO Donald A. Saunders, Councilmember, Bedford, OH Michele Straube, Salt Lake Solutions, Salt Lake City, UT James Taylor, Councilmember, Littleton, CO
For more information about the Panel, membership, or its activities, please contact: Bonnie Mann Matt Leighninger National League of Cities Deliberative Democracy Consortium 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 1050 17th St. NW, Suite 701 Washington, D.C. 20004 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 626-3000 (905) 972-0550 mann@nlc.org mattleighninger@earthlink.net |