The major themes of the annual meeting are homeland security and economic security. The conference begins with a major plenary session on the issue of homeland security on Sunday, June 8. Issues related to economic security such as stimulus through the tax code and investment programs, transportation, housing production, brownfield redevelopment and others will be covered over the course of the meeting in discussions with major plenary speakers.
U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Donald Evans is will address the mayors on Monday, June 9, as is former Vermont governor and presidential candidate Howard Dean. Other confirmed speakers for plenary sessions and committee and task force meetings include Office of National Drug Control Policy Director ? the "Drug Czar" ? John Walters, Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Alphonso Jackson, Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Melanie Sabelhaus, and Deputy Center for Disease Control (CDC) Director Ed Thomspon.
The policy committees of the Conference will meet on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7 to consider new resolutions, which will be presented to the entire membership for consideration on Monday, June 9.
Other meetings in Denver will include the Mayors Business Council, the Urban Water Council, the Council for Investment in the New American City, the Women Mayors, and the Republican and Democratic mayors.
A key part of the annual meeting will be the International Conference of Mayors, which will give U.S. mayors and mayors from other countries the opportunity to jointly address the role of mayoral leadership in achieving sustainability in the world's cities. Mayors will share ideas and give best practices presentations on strategies for successfully managing major challenges in areas including travel and tourism, transportation, safety and security, the environment, health issues, sustainable urban development, affordable housing, diversity, and education.
More than 25 mayors from 19 nations and 5 continents have registered for the meeting.
