CEOs for Cities Fall Meeting Kicks Off in Chicago

Posted by Julia Klaiber on October 11, 2011

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Alaina Beverly, 202-466-2543

HUD Secretary Donovan, former HUD Secretary Cisneros addressed innovation and development in America’s cities on first day of two-day conference

[October 11, 2011Chicago, IL – CEOs for Cities launched its 2011 Fall Meeting today with an impressive roster of speakers from around the country addressing the need for smart and innovative approaches to revitalizing America’s metro centers.  The first day of the two-day conference sparked lively conversations among the nation’s top urban leaders. 

U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Shaun Donovan and former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, who currently serves as executive chairman of CityView, delivered the keynote addresses.

In his remarks, Secretary Donovan addressed the steps the federal government is taking to partner with local communities, cities and metro regions to “help them become the dynamic, diverse, resilient economies America needs to win the future.”

“Growing cities and regions requires us to capitalize not only on our cities’ leadership, but also on the unique assets of their so-called ‘anchor institutions’—the hospitals, universities, foundations, and businesses,” Secretary Donovan said to a cross-sector audience of urban leaders.  “It is the presence of these institutions that defines the place itself.”

CEOs for Cities’ national meetings gather cabinet secretaries, mayors, executive officers, academics, philanthropists, entrepreneurs and thought leaders to collaborate on how to build vibrant cities.  The 2011 Fall Meeting allows leaders to share the creative tactics—in business, infrastructure, sustainability, education, and arts and culture—that are lifting up cities across the country.

This is CEOs for Cities first national meeting under the leadership of newly-appointed president and CEO Lee Fisher.  “I am delighted to welcome such a truly inspiring crowd to Chicago,” Fisher said.  “I never fail to come away from a CEOs for Cities national meeting energized by the caliber of the participants and the quality of the programs our members are implementing around the country.”

Cisneros reflected on the role of cities as a central part of the American story.  “In America, it has been the machinery of urban life that has provided the stepping stones to a better life.”

Recognizing a series of urban initiatives that are transforming cities from Baltimore to Cleveland to Los Angeles, the former HUD Secretary told the audience, “I believe that we are witnessing the dawning of a new golden era of America’s cities.”

The second day of the conference will feature presentations by Chris Kennedy, immediate past president of Merchandise Mart Properties; Bruce Mau, co-founder of MassiveChangeNetwork; and Harvard economist Ed Glaeser. 

CEOs for Cities is a national network of urban leaders.  Among its signature initiatives are The Talent Dividend Prize, in which metro areas are competing to increase the rate of college completion over the next four years, and Change By Us, an online platform for public engagement that is rolling out in cities across the country.

Members of the media interested in attending the final day of the conference tomorrow should contact Alaina Beverly at abeverly@rabengroup.com to request credentials. For more information about the conference visit ceosforcities.org.

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CEOs for Cities is a national network of urban leaders dedicated to building and sustaining the next generation of great American cities. Learn more at www.ceosforcities.org.