克城消息

Councilmember Matt Zone Elected President National League of Cities!

A position usually held by city mayors,Councilman Zone now leads the largest and most representative membership and advocacy organization for city officials in the United States.
Councilman Zone was installed as president of the National League of Cities (NLC) on November 19. 2016 and now leads the organization for a one-year term, during which he will play a key role in shaping NLC'snational and global priorities and directing the organization's advocacy, education, research and membership activities. The first (and last) Clevelander to hold the position of President of the National League of Cities was former U.S. Senator George Voinovich, who served as its President in 1985 while Mayor of Cleveland. Councilman Matt Zone is the second Clevelander to be honored as the President of the National League of Cities.
The National League of Cities (NLC) is the oldest and largest national organization representing municipal governments throughout the United Statesand is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. Working in partnership with 49 state municipal leagues, NLC serves as a resource and advocate,while providing programs and services that give local leaders the tools and knowledge they need to better serve over218 million Americans inthe more than 19,000 cities, villages and towns it represents.
Councilman Zone joined the NLC early in his career, and served on its Board of Directors from 2012-2013. He has served as Chairman of its Energy, Environment & Natural Resources Steering Committee and has represented the NLC before Congress and in White House briefings. Councilman Zone was the NLC's delegate in Denmark at the International Climate Conference in December of 2009, and, in 2012, he represented the NLC on the International Sustainability Exchange to Sweden and Germany.
Most recently, Councilman Zone travelled to Shanghai, China,upon the invitation of the China Society of Administrative Reform,to be a keynote speaker at their forum on "Urban Governance in the Context of New Trends in Urbanization: Challenges and Responses".
“I would like to congratulate Councilman Matt Zone on his new position as the President of the National League of Cities Board of Directors. Councilman Zone’s leadership, dedication, and commitment to his Ward here in Cleveland have demonstrated his ability to effectively lead this organization. Councilman Zone is a tireless public servant and national advocate for the City of Cleveland. I look forward to seeing more of his good work in the future.”
- Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson, November 19, 2016
In his inaugural speech at the November 19, 2016 NLC Summit in Pittsburg, Councilman Zone said, “I'm honored and humbled to be given the opportunity to lead our 92-year-old organization at such an important time for the nation… America's cities are facing some tough challenges. But, with one voice, we will work with our federal partners to find solutions to these challenges. I truly believe that cities are stronger, together."
Immediately upon taking office, NLC President Zone initiated the NLC Task Force on Economic Mobility and Opportunity. Comprised of 22 local leaders across the country, the Task Force will identify recommendations for cities to address economic barriers that are keeping many families from sharing in the nation's prosperity."Now more than ever, the economic well-being of our families is at risk, and we, as local officials, can be the key instruments of change and economic mobility," explained Zone as he opened the first meeting of the task force.

NLC President Zone’s hope is that the work of the task force will identify, support and raise the profile of local efforts that have the potential to increase economic mobility, expand economic opportunity and reduce income inequality in cities across the nation, and that the initiative will bring these local efforts into the national dialogue, with a focus on working with the White House and Congress in this regard.“We will build and support a new cadre of local government champions who, together, will be a strong, singular voice in national debates on economic mobility and opportunity."

In working with the task force, Zone plans to share the many recent developments in the City of Cleveland which exemplify the kinds of local initiatives,occurring across the country, that could become shared strategies to foster economic mobility, support diversity and create opportunity in cities throughout the nation. One example is the Lakefront West Project, a $100 million infrastructure investment that connects Cleveland's west side neighborhoods to the Lake Erie shores.
During his tenure as Councilman, Zone has worked with developers to make sure that new developments in his district include mixed income and affordable housing units. More than 1,000 units of permanent supportive housing across Cleveland have been built since he has been in office, including transforming the formerly contaminated Eveready Battery Factory site into the largest housing development in the City of Cleveland.
View of part of the Battery Park Urban Redevelopment Project in Cleveland’s Detroit Shoreway neighborhood
By supporting entrepreneurship and small businesses, Zone explains that 90 new businesses have opened since 2007 in the formerly economically stagnant Gordon Square Arts District by “applying inclusive redevelopment strategies that capitalized on the unique culture and history of the area. The result is a vibrant arts district that maintains its character and lifelong residents, without the gentrification the too often accompanies development.”
Cleveland’s Gordon Square Arts District
Matt Zone was first elected to Cleveland City Council in 2001, representing Ward 15, which includes the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood where he and generations of his family grew up. His exposure and dedication to public service, however, began long before he took office 15 years ago. The son of esteemed Cleveland City Councilman Michael J. Zone, Matthew started attending council meetings and other government functions, from the age eleven until he graduated from high school, as escort to his mother, Mary Zone, who took over her husband’s council seat upon his sudden and unexpected death in 1974 and served for three additional terms.
For Matt, the call to service is a way of life, and he credits his parents’ commitment to building a better future for their community as his motivation to answer the call to serve by way of their former seat on Cleveland City Council. As councilman, he works tirelessly as an advocate for the arts, sustainability, public safety issues and economic development and has played a major role in the redevelopment of Cleveland neighborhoods. He continues to focus on initiatives to make the city a dynamic and vibrant place.
As President of the National League of Cities, and through the NLC Task Force on Economic Mobility and Opportunity, Councilman Zone is dedicated to building a stronger nation by making diversity and inclusion a priority at the local level, and through the exchange of ideasamong our nation’s communities that will build a better future for all our cities.

By Jack Craciun III
Lorinda Laughlin
December 2016