National League of Cities


The National League of Cities is an American advocacy organization that represents the country's 19,495 cities, towns, and villages along with 49 state municipal leagues. Created in 1924, it has evolved into a membership organization providing education, research, support, and advocacy to city leaders across America. Based in Washington, D.C., it is considered part of the 'Big Seven', a group of organizations that represent state and local governments in the United States. NLC provides training and other resources to municipal officials, holds conferences, and conducts federal advocacy efforts on behalf of cities, towns and villages.
Today, NLC represents nearly 2,800 member cities as a convening organization, support network, and representative in federal affairs. Leading priorities for the group include the economy, infrastructure, public safety, technology, education, and families.
WWW nlc.org

History

NLC was first founded as the American Municipal Association in Lawrence, Kansas by a group of ten state municipal leagues seeking greater coordination and representation in national affairs. Over time, the organization's membership expanded to include individual cities of all sizes.
NLC has played a key role in shaping federal urban policy and defining city issues in America. At a 1970 convention that William Ruckelshaus, Administrator of the newly created Environmental Protection Agency, announced an order requiring Cleveland, Detroit, and Atlanta to clean up their inadequately treated sewage discharges into rivers, thereby helping send a message that the young agency meant business.

Activities

Federal advocacy

NLC lobbies Congress on multiple issues that directly impact municipalities, including municipal infrastructure, particularly transportation; supporting local energy efficiency and conservation efforts; strengthening and stabilizing the housing market; providing services to support the health and stability of families; and supporting community safety. NLC's core lobbying principles include avoiding unfunded mandates, preserving local authority and protecting the intergovernmental partnership.
Congressional Caucus of Former Local Elected Officials
NLC and the National Association of Counties formed the Congressional Caucus of Former Local Elected Officials in 2021. The bipartisan caucus brings together members of Congress with prior service in local government to improve intergovernmental partnerships, provide up-to-date information about mutual policy interests to members of Congress and their staffs, and ensure the local government voice is heard in federal decision-making.

Conferences

NLC hosts the annual City Summit conference in a different city held annually in November at which municipal officials and youth leaders participate in workshops, general sessions, networking opportunities and leadership training seminars. NLC's other yearly conference is the Congressional City Conference, held annually in March in Washington, D.C. Thousands of municipal officials discuss NLC’s legislative priorities with Members of Congress and the Administration, share promising practices, discuss policy and participate in leadership training opportunities.

Programs

Center of Municipal Practice

NLC's Center for Municipal Practice is dedicated to addressing key challenges faced by our member municipalities and cities across the country. These challenges include various critical areas, including housing, public safety and justice, transportation, infrastructure, racial equity, sustainability, economic development, emerging technologies, and more. The center offers technical assistance, educational resources, peer learning and grant opportunities, and innovative ideas that empower local leaders to build and sustain vibrant communities.

The Center for LEAD

The Center for Leadership, Education, Advancement and Development is the go-to place for city leaders seeking to improve outcomes for children and families. With expertise in early childhood success, education and expanded learning, promoting a culture of health and wellbeing, youth and young adult connections, LEAD reaches cities of all ages and brings together local leaders to develop strategies via technical assistance projects, peer learning networks, leadership academies, and more.
LEAD encompasses the Institute for Youth, Education, and Families, the National League of Cities University, and the Local Infrastructure Hub. IYEF was founded in 2000 and focuses on transforming how municipal leaders envision their roles in improving outcomes for all children, youth, and families in their communities. The National League of Cities University is a professional development center for elected officials and municipal staff, with trainings and courses designed to enhance local leaders and staff’s ability to govern, work across sectors, manage systems change, and achieve equitable outcomes. The Local Infrastructure Hub is a national program designed to connect cities and towns with the resources and expert advice they need to access federal infrastructure funding to drive local progress, improve communities, and deliver results for residents.

Center for Member and Partner Engagement

NLC’s Center for Member and Partner Engagement oversees relationships with more than 2,700 member municipalities of NLC, the 49 state municipal leagues nationwide, and over 50 trusted strategic partners. The Center consists of four distinct services: Member Services and Engagement, Strategic Partnerships, State League Services and Risk Information Sharing Consortium.
Member Services and Engagement actively strives to recruit new members while collectively strengthening the representation of cities, towns, and villages throughout the country. They also engage current member municipalities through NLC's six constituency groups, seven member councils, and seven committees.
Strategic Partnerships facilitates connections between NLC's strategic partners and local leaders, fostering collaborations to make America’s cities smarter, more responsive, and economically vibrant. They bring private sector perspectives and solutions to issues facing cities, support NLC’s mission to strengthen local communities across the country and promote the exchange of ideas between corporate and local leaders.
State League Services supports NLC's founding members, the state municipal leagues, who are essential partners in strengthening local leadership, influencing federal policy, and driving innovative solutions.
NLC RISC provides resources and education around property, liability, workers’ compensation, unemployment, and/or employee benefit programs to their 16,000+ member cities, towns, counties and other local government entities.

Publications

The National League of Cities oversees a range of publications including the blog CitiesSpeak, the newsletter The Weekly, and several social media channels. NLC also produces original research on topics such as technology, education, municipal finance, public safety, and mayoral priorities, and more.

Leadership

The National League of Cities is overseen by a board of directors, which elects a president, vice president, and second vice president in annual elections. Each president serves a one-year term, typically choosing to focus on a single program or advocacy priority such as economic mobility or public safety. NLC's current president is Steve Patterson, mayor of Athens, Ohio.

Presidents

Until the early 1940s, most presidents were the directors of affiliated organizations. Beginning in the 1940s, the organization began appointing mayors of American cities to serve as its president. Since the late-1970s, mayors and city councilors have served as presidents.
#
PresidentYears of termAffiliated organization
Political partyNote
1stMorris B. Lambire1924–26League of Minnesota Cities
2ndMorton L. Wallerstein1927League of Virginia Municipalitiesfirst of two tenures as president
3rdA. D. McLarty1928Illinois Municipal League
4thDon C. Sowers1929Colorado Municipal League
5thHarvey W. Draper1930League of Texas Municipalities
6thSedley H. Phinney1931–32New Jersey State League of Municipalities
7thFrederick N. MacMillin1933League of Wisconsin Municipalities
8thHarold D. Smith1934Michigan Municipal League
9thWilliam P. Capes1935New York State Conference of Mayors
10thJohn G. Stutz1936League of Kansas Municipalities
11thAndrew Joyner Jr.1937was the incumbent city manager of Greensboro, North Carolina
2nd Morton L. Wallerstein1938League of Virginia Municipalitiessecond tenure as president
12thC. C. Ludwig1939League of Minnesota Cities
13th1940League of California Cities
14thE. E. McAdams1941–42League of Texas Municipalities
#
PresidentYears of termCity Political partyNote
15th1942 & 1943Decatur, IllinoisRepublican
16thHerbert A. Olson1944director of the Michigan Municipal League
17th1945Louisville, KentuckyDemocratic
18th1946Portland, Oregon-
19th1947Dallas, Texas-
20th1948Los Angeles, CaliforniaRepublican
21st1949New Orleans, LouisianaDemocratic
22nd1950Denver, ColoradoRepublican
23rd1951Seattle, Washington-
24th1952Detroit, Michigan-
25th1953Atlanta, GeorgiaDemocratic
26th1954Kansas City, Missouri-
27th1955Jackson, Mississippi-
28th1956New York City, New York-
29th1957Nashville, Tennessee-
30th1958San Francisco, CaliforniaRepublican
31st1959Cleveland, OhioDemocratic
32nd1960St. Louis, Missouri-
33rd1961Tucson, Arizona-
34th1961–62Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-
35th1962Seattle, Washington-
36th1963Houston, Texas-
37th1964Boston, Massachusetts-
38th1965Milwaukee, Wisconsin-
39th1966Detroit, Michigan-
40th1967Tacoma, WashingtonRepublican
41st1968Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDemocratic
42nd1969Nashville, Tennessee-
43rd1970San Diego, California-
44th1971Indianapolis, IndianaRepublican
45th1972Atlanta, GeorgiaDemocratic
46th1973Detroit, Michigan-
47th1974Los Angeles, California-
48th1975Salt Lake City, UtahRepublican
49th1975San Juan, Puerto RicoDemocratic/New Progressive
50th1976Jacksonville, FloridaDemocratic
51st1977member of the city council of Seattle, Washington; first woman to serve as president of NLC; first non-mayor to serve as president of NLC since the 1940s
52nd1978Columbus, OhioRepublican
53rd1979Savannah, GeorgiaDemocratic
54th1980member of the city council of Newport News, Virginia-
55th1981Indianapolis, IndianaRepublican
56thFerd L. Harrison1982Scotland Neck, North CarolinaDemocratic
57th1983Seattle, Washingtonindependent
58th1984St. Paul, MinnesotaDemocratic
59th1985Cleveland, OhioRepublican
60th1986San Antonio, TexasDemocratic
61st1987member of the city council of Denver, Colorado
62nd1988member of the city council of Portland, Maine
63rd1989Phoenix, ArizonaDemocratic
64th1990Fort Worth, Texas
65th1991New Orleans, LouisianaDemocratic
66th1992Republicanmember of the city council of Orlando, Florida
67th1993Minneapolis, MinnesotaDemocratic
68th1994Newark, New Jersey-
69th1995member of the city council of Atlanta, Georgia
70th1996Columbus, OhioRepublican
71st1997member of the city council of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
72nd1998Republicanmember of the city council of Philadelphia
73rd1999South Bay, FloridaDemocraticlater named NLC executive director in 2013
74th2000Wichita, KansasRepublican
75th2001Detroit, MichiganDemocratic
76thKaren J. Anderson2002Minnetonka, MinnesotaRepublican
77th2003New Haven, ConnecticutDemocratic
78th2004member of the board of selectmen of Arlington, Massachusetts
79th2005Washington, D.C.Democratic
80thJames C. Hunt2006member of the city council of Clarksburg, West Virginia
81st2007Indianapolis, IndianaDemocratic
82nd2008member of the city council of Madison, Wisconsin
83rdKathleen Novak2009Northglenn, Colorado
84th2010Riverside, CaliforniaDemocratic
85th2011member of the city council of Charlotte, North Carolina-
86thTed Ellis2012Bluffton, Indiana-
87thMarie Lopez Rodgers2013Avondale, Arizona-
88th2014St. Paul, Minnesota-
89th2015Salt Lake City, Utah -
90thMelode Colbert-Kean2016Joplin, Missouri
91st2017Democraticmember of the city council of Cleveland, Ohio
92nd2018Little Rock, Arkansas-
93rd2019Gary, Indiana-
94th2020member of the city council of Los Angeles, California-
95th2021Republicanmember of the city council of Lexington, South Carolina
96thVince Williams2022Union City, Georgia
97th2023Tacoma, WashingtonDemoceratic
98thDavid Sander2024Rancho Cordova, California
99th2024Baton Rouge, LouisianaDemocratic
100thSteve Patterson2025Athens, Ohio-

States and territories by number of officials that served as NLC president

Number of presidentsState/territoryPresidents
8CaliforniaRichard P. Graves ; Fletcher Bowron ; George Christopher ; Frank Curran ; Tom Bradley ; Ronald O. Loveridge ; Joe Buscaino ; David Sander
6MichiganHarold D. Smith ; Herbert A. Olson ; Albert Cobo ; Jerome Cavanagh ; Roman Gribbs ; Dennis Archer
6MinnesotaMorris B. Lambire ; C. C. Ludwig ; George Latimer ; Donald M. Fraser ; Karen J. Anderson ; Chris Coleman
6OhioAnthony J. Celebrezze ; Tom Moody ; George Voinovich ; Greg Lashutka ; Matt Zone ; Steve Patterson
6TexasHarvey W. Draper ; E. E. McAdams ; Woodall Rodgers ; Lewis Wesley Cutrer ; Henry Cisneros ; Bob Bolen
6WashingtonWilliam F. Devin ; Gordon S. Clinton ; Harold M. Tollefson ; Phyllis Lamphere ; Charles Royer ; Victoria Woodards
5GeorgiaWilliam B. Hartsfield ; Sam Massell ; John Rousakis ; Carolyn Long Banks ; Vince Williams
5IndianaRichard Lugar ; William H. Hudnut ; Bart Peterson ; Ted Ellis ; Karen Freeman-Wilson
4ColoradoDon C. Sowers ; J. Quigg Newton ; Cathy Reynolds ; Kathleen Novak
3ArizonaDon Hummel ; Terry Goddard ; Marie Lopez Rodgers
3LouisianadeLesseps Story Morrison ; Sidney Barthelemy ; Sharon Weston Broome
3MissouriWilliam E. Kemp ; Raymond Tucker ; Melode Colbert-Kean
3North CarolinaAndrew Joyner Jr. ; Ferd L. Harrison ; James Mitchell Jr.
3FloridaHans Tanzler ; Glenda Hood ; Clarence E. Anthony
2MassachusettsJohn F. Collins ; Charles H. Lyons
2PennsylvaniaRichardson Dilworth ; James Tate
2KansasJohn G. Stutz ; Robert G. Knight
2New JerseySedley H. Phinney ; Sharpe James
2WisconsinFrederick N. MacMillin ; Henry Maier ; Cynthia McCollum
2IllinoisA. D. McLarty ; Charles E. Lee
2New YorkWilliam P. Capes ; Robert F. Wagner Jr.
2TennesseeBen West ; Beverly Briley
2VirginiaMorton L. Wallerstein ; Jessie M. Rattley
1ArkansasMark Stodola
1District of ColumbiaAnthony A. Williams
1ConnecticutJohn DeStefano Jr.
1MainePamela P. Plumb
1MississippiAllen C. Thompson
1OklahomaMark Schartz
1Puerto RicoCarlos Romero Barceló
1South CarolinaKathy Maness
1UtahJake Garn ; Ralph Becker
1West VirginiaJames C. Hunt
0Alabamarowspan=19
0Alaska-
0American Samoa-
0Delaware-
0Hawaii-
0Iowa-
0Idaho-
0Maryland-
0Montana-
0Nevada-
0Nebraska-
0New Hampshire-
0New Mexico-
0North Dakota-
0Rhode Island-
0South Dakota-
0United States Virgin Islands-
0Vermont-
0Wyoming-

City governments from which multiple presidents have hailed

Number of presidentsCityPresidents
4DetroitAlbert Cobo ; Jerome Cavanagh ; Roman Gribbs ; Dennis Archer
4SeattleWilliam F. Devin ; Gordon S. Clinton ; Phyllis Lamphere ; Charles Royer
3Los AngelesFletcher Bowron ; Tom Bradley ; Joe Buscaino
3AtlantaWilliam B. Hartsfield ; Sam Massell ; Carolyn Long Banks
3ClevelandAnthony J. Celebrezze ; George Voinovich ; Matt Zone
3IndianapolisRichard Lugar ; William H. Hudnut III ; Bart Peterson
3PhiladelphiaRichardson Dilworth ; James Tate ; Brian J. O'Neill
2Columbus, OHTom Moody (politician) ; George Lashutka
2DenverJ. Quigg Newton ; Cathy Reynolds
2New OrleansdeLesseps Story Morrison ; Sidney Barthelemy
2NashvilleBen West ; Beverly Briley
2St. Paul, MNGeorge Latimer ; Chris Coleman
2Tacoma, WAHarold M. Tollefson ; Victoria Woodards