Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, a leading member of the National Cities of Service Coalition, has been selected to join the Cities of Service Mayors Council. As part of the prestigious Council, the Mayor will advise Cities of Service on program development, planning, and evaluation, as well as organizational growth opportunities. Mayor Freeman-Wilson will also serve as an ambassador for the citizen engagement work happening in the city of Gary and share successes and lessons learned with others.
Mayor Freeman-Wilson stated, “I am honored to serve as a member of the Cities of Service Mayors Council and to work with a group of great Mayors. While we continue to work here at home to engage our citizens, I look forward to the Council members’ collective work and experiences in their respective communities and our collaborative efforts on this Council making a difference in Gary and in other cities.”
Cities of Service Mayors bring community members to the table to share ideas and work together with city officials and staff in order to exponentially increase the potential to make change for their communities. The Cities of Service Mayors Council will allow some of the most engaged mayors to give Cities of Service real-time feedback from the field, allowing the organization to continuously improve its offerings.
“When it comes to citizen engagement, Cities of Service Mayors know what works and what doesn’t,” said Myung J. Lee, Executive Director of Cities of Service. “We are thrilled to have Mayor Freeman-Wilson as part of this outstanding group of mayors share her knowledge to help Cities of Service deepen our impact in cities.” The diverse range of cities represented by the Cities of Service Mayors Council will enable city leaders to model their efforts after cities facing similar challenges, making it easier to achieve success.
The following mayors are the founding members of the Cities of Service Mayors Council:
- Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, Anchorage, Alaska
- Mayor Byron W. Brown, Buffalo, New York
- Mayor Pete Buttigieg, South Bend, Indiana
- Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orlando, Florida
- Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, Gary, Indiana
- Mayor Greg Stanton, Phoenix, Arizona
Additional leading mayors are expected to join the Cities of Service Mayors Council in the coming months.
About Cities of Service
Cities of Service is an independent nonprofit organization that helps mayors and city leaders tap the knowledge, creativity, and service of citizens to solve public problems and create vibrant cities. We work with cities to build city-led, citizen-powered initiatives that target specific needs, achieve long-term and measurable outcomes, improve the quality of life for residents, and build stronger cities. Founded in 2009 by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Cities of Service supports a coalition of more than 235 cities, representing nearly 55 million people in 45 U.S. states, and more than 10 million people in the U.K. Visit them at www.citiesofservice.org or follow us on Twitter@citiesofservice.
