NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Cities of Service, a national nonprofit that helps more than 200 mayors and city leaders tap into the knowledge, creativity, and service of citizens to solve public problems and create vibrant cities, has launched the Cities of Service Mayors Council. Comprised of mayors who are leading the way on citizen engagement, the Cities of Service Mayors Council will advise Cities of Service on program development, planning, and evaluation, as well as organizational growth opportunities. Council members will also serve as ambassadors for the citizen engagement work happening in their respective cities and across the organization through mayor-to-mayor connections and existing networks.

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 John Giles, Mesa, Arizona
• Mayor Sam Liccardo, San José, California
• Mayor Greg Stanton, Phoenix, Arizona

Additional leading mayors are expected to join the Cities of Service Mayors Council in the coming months.

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 this outstanding group of mayors share their knowledge to help Cities of Service deepen our impact in cities.”

The Cities of Service Mayors Council will also serve as ambassadors for citizen engagement at the local level and share successes and lessons learned with others. “Engaging our citizens at the community level has never been more important,” said Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown. “I am honored to be a part of the Cities of Service Mayors Council and excited to share what we have learned so that other cities can form stronger connections with their citizens and improve the quality of life for those who need it most.”

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. “Anchorage has greatly benefited from being a part of the Cities of Service coalition,” said Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz. “As a founding member of the Cities of Service Mayors Council, Anchorage will help Cities of Service continuously refine its offerings so that even more cities can replicate the work being done here and across the country to make communities much stronger.”

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 us at citiesofservice.jhu.edu or follow us on Twitter @citiesofservice.

Contact
Hayley Kallenberg
Communications Director
press@citiesofservice.jhu.edu
646.324.8390