Mayor John Ostenburg. (SUPPLIED)
Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Mayor John A. Ostenburg this week joined fellow leaders from across the country for the 2011 National League of Cities’ (NLC) annual Congress of Cities and Exposition in Phoenix, Ariz. The conference highlighted and discussed economic development strategies, benefits of sustainability programs, infrastructure solutions and children and family issues, as well as the impact of immigration on communities.
Scheduled speakers for the event well-known experts such as Cecilia Muñoz, deputy assistant to the President and director of intergovernmental affairs at the White House; former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, co-chair of Building America’s Future; Majora Carter, eco-entrepreneur and founder of Sustainable South Bronx; Edward Glaesar, author, economist and Harvard University professor; and film star and author Hill Harper.
Mayor Ostenburg also participated in a meeting of the NLC Community & Economic Development Committee, on which he has served for the last several years.
“The Congress of Cities offers unique opportunities for interacting with other municipal leaders from the across the country to discuss, analyze and seek solutions for problems facing our cities,” Mayor Ostenburg said. “Every time I attend one of these events, I come away with ideas about new ways to approach many of our local problems. I also often come away with an appreciation that the way we do things in Park Forest is far ahead of what is occurring in many other communities.”
During the Congress of Cities, Mayor Ostenburg attended the Green Cities Conference. Sessions during that segment of the event explored developing and maintaining sustainability programs, protecting natural resources and promoting public health and social equity.
“By focusing on specific issues important to their cities, NLC members received a unique and valuable experience during this year’s Congress of Cities,” said NLC President James E. Mitchell Jr., Council Member from Charlotte, N.C. “The specific programming provided all participants with a more in-depth focus on city issues, while making relevant connections between all sessions and activities.”
The National League of Cities is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.
