Oklahoma City Awarded 2010 U.S. Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting

(June 25, 2007) - Mayor Mick Cornett announced today that Oklahoma City has been awarded the 2010 annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.  This will be the 78th annual meeting, and the first to be held in Oklahoma.  The decision was made this weekend at the 75th annual meeting in Los Angeles.  The 2010 annual meeting promises to be one of the most important and high profile political events ever staged in Oklahoma.

"I am thrilled to announce this decision by the U.S. Conference of Mayors," said Mayor Cornett.  "This is yet another milestone in our rapid evolution into a world-class city.  Hundreds of mayors from across the nation will be coming to Oklahoma City, and I can't wait to have that opportunity to show off our city and tell our story."

Because of the longstanding preeminence of the U.S. Conference of Mayors among political coalitions, the conference's annual meeting is an event with national implications.  At the annual meeting, the members of the conference debate and adopt policy positions that reverberate loudly in Washington.

The decision to stage the annual meeting in Oklahoma City was a culmination of intense lobbying efforts by Mayor Cornett and the Greater Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau.  The decision was made by the U.S. Conference of Mayors Site Selection Committee and ratified by the Executive Committee.

"Oklahoma City is very proud to be hosting the 2010 U.S. Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting, and we applaud Mayor Mick Cornett for his leadership in bringing this meeting to town," said Roy H. Williams, President & CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. "To have an event of this caliber in our city is a true honor, and we at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and Convention & Visitors Bureau look forward to making this an experience the attendees will never forget."

The annual meeting also routinely plays host to U.S. Presidents and other national political and cultural figures.  This year's annual meeting featured addresses by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, among others.  Saturday night in Los Angeles, the mayors had dinner at Hollywood's Kodak Theater, where the food was catered by Wolfgang Puck and entertainment was provided by Melissa Etheridge.

Oklahoma City joins impressive company in hosting the annual meeting.  Recent host cities have included Los Angeles (2007), Las Vegas (2006), Chicago (2005), Boston (2004) and Denver (2003).  The 2008 site is Miami, and 2009 is Providence.  Other than national political party nominating conventions, there are few political gatherings of this magnitude.

All mayors of cities with a population of over 30,000 are invited to attend the Annual Meeting.  There are currently well over 1,000 such mayors in the United States.  The current President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors is Doug Palmer, the Mayor of Trenton, NJ.  The Vice President is Manny Diaz, the Mayor of Miami, FL.

In the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Mayor Cornett serves as President of RMLO (Republican Mayors and Local Officials), is Chair of the Urban Economic Policy Committee and at the annual meeting in Los Angeles he was elected to the Board of Trustees, the highest governing body in the organization.