On this date exactly one hundred years ago, ten state leagues came together for the first meeting of what is now known as the National League of Cities. On this date last year, I reflected on 99 years of the organization, having just kicked off the centennial celebration at City Summit in Atlanta. When I reflect on the past year and all that we have accomplished in celebrating this incredible milestone, I am so grateful for all the powerful moments and lasting memories that we will take from this time, particularly the Centennial Roadshow.
Where It All Started: Lawrence, Kansas
Back in February, an NLC leadership delegation traveled back to the place where it all started, in Lawrence, Kansas at the University of Kansas. While so much has changed in the last one hundred years, NLC’s mission remains the same: to strengthen local government and be the voice advocating on Capitol Hill to ensure all 19,000 communities across America continue to grow and thrive. Through the decades, NLC has accomplished a lot, and reconnecting with our founding place has only strengthened our resolve to continue that mission for the next hundred years and beyond.
100 Years, 100+ Cities
Since then, NLC has visited more than 130 cities across America on the Centennial Roadshow, witnessing firsthand what makes their communities so special. I want to thank each and every one of the Roadshow stops for welcoming us to their homes. Through our travels across the country, we left inspired and honored to know the leaders in these municipalities who work tirelessly each day to improve the lives of their residents. If you haven’t had a chance, I invite you to check out our Instagram Highlights documenting each step of the journey and watch the recap video we shared at the Centennial City Summit in Tampa Bay, Florida:
A Special Thank You
I also wish to extend a special thank you to our Centennial Sponsors for making the Centennial Roadshow possible. It is through this incredible partnership with these organizations that we were able to explore AI with Google in Atlanta, discuss the future of transportation with Enterprise Mobility in St. Louis and highlight how small businesses support equitable communities with Wells Fargo in Philadelphia. If you haven’t had a chance, I also encourage you to listen to the CitiesSpeak podcasts I recorded with Enterprise Mobility, Google and Wells Fargo for more insights from these valuable partners.
Celebrate with Us!
To join us in marking this momentous date, I invite you to download and share one of our special centennial graphic templates and tag NLC on social media now through the end of the year. You can access the templates and instructions for sharing them on NLC100.org. We even have a link to our Roadshow photos (password to download is ROADSHOW) from our centennial site for any cities who wish to share them using the photo frame template.
Thank You for Joining Us on This Journey
In addition to our Roadshow stops, we are grateful to all our members, partners and stakeholders who joined us in the Centennial celebration over the last year. We look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure local government continues to thrive and make their voices heard on Capitol Hill for the next one hundred years and beyond.
About the Author
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- Clarence E. Anthony
