It was an honor to be sworn in as the 2024-25 Cal Cities President at last month’s Annual Conference and Expo in Long Beach alongside over 2,300 other city officials. This is my first “President’s Message,” and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my thoughts about our work in the coming year to engage, educate, and elevate to uplift our communities.

During the annual conference, I was thrilled that the Etiwanda High School band was able to join me to kick off my term as president. As a retired superintendent of K-12 education, my commitment to service as a city official is inspired in part by the importance of building strong communities for future generations. 

In fact, California cities are not unlike a music band. Alone, each instrument — the strings, the brass, the woodwinds, and the percussion — can produce beautiful music with a unique voice. But together in a band, they create a masterpiece that resonates far more deeply.

Each of California’s 483 towns and cities is an instrument that brings unique characteristics, perspectives, and communities to the table. When we blend these diverse elements together in harmony, we create a synergy of voice that is a powerful force.

As your president, I commit to uplifting this voice under a united Cal Cities. Together, we are louder, stronger, and more powerful than any one town or city could ever be alone,

This year, my goal is to strengthen our capacity and impact with strategic and consistent messaging. The message is the 3 E’s: Engage, Educate, and Elevate.

Engagement can be viewed as a three-legged stool — engagement with the Legislature, other city officials, and Cal Cities.

When the new legislative session begins in January, California will have at least 34 new lawmakers. This influx is a huge opportunity for Cal Cities to engage with every new member to ensure they understand the importance of cities and hear our local priorities.

Effective engagement with the Legislature will not be possible without engagement at the city level. Cal Cities is a member-informed organization, powered by the voices and passion of our city officials. I commit to engaging with city officials at the division level to hear and understand more about what’s important in your community. And I hope city officials will commit to engaging with Cal Cities by participating in divisions, caucuses, departments, and Cal Cities’ advocacy work.

Key to engagement is education. As Cal Cities President, I commit to educating newly elected legislators about our priorities to help inform their decisions at the Capitol. We must also educate ourselves. By being actively engaged and connected with Cal Cities, we can learn about tools and resources that can help uplift our communities, as well as Cal Cities’ advocacy work for local control. And it’s important that we educate our residents about our priorities and work on their behalf.

Finally, as Cal Cities President I am focused on elevating our message. Together, we will elevate our message at the state level, our presence in Sacramento, and our strength as a united force. I commit to elevating Cal Cities as the leading voice in advocacy for California cities.

I am so excited for all we will accomplish this year. As president, I will engage with you at the division and caucus level. I will educate myself by learning with you and from you.  And I will elevate Cal Cities — who we are, what we do, and what we have to say. This year, I am your champion!

I am Cal Cities. You are Cal Cities. We are Cal Cities. And together, we are stronger, louder, and more powerful!!  Let’s celebrate the upcoming year as we engage, educate, and elevate the League of California Cities!