By Okon Ekpenyong

On Monday, June 5, 2023 Vice-President Kamala Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff, attended the 91st US Conference of Mayors, which focused on adopting policy resolutions to guide the organization’s advocacy work. He joined the United States Conference of Mayors to present efforts to combat antisemitism. And the four days event concluded with Mayor Hillary Schieve of Reno, Nevada, named the 81st President.

Mayor Ginther of Columbus, Ohio, hosted the roundtable dedicated to creating a local and national response to combat antisemitism. It is a response to the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, launched on Thursday, June 1, by the Biden-Harris Administration.

The Second Gentleman held an open discussion and received recommendations on a bipartisan plan to combat antisemitism with local municipal and state officials, including the newly elected President, Vice-President, second President, and others at the 91st Annual Mayoral Conference.

Per a March 14 article by Jewish Insider, data shows that in 2021 there were 817 incidents targeting Jews — representing an increase of nearly 500 incidents from initial statistics published late last year. Emhoff, who is Jewish, stated that at least 63% of religious hate crimes are towards Jewish communities. Before serving as the second Gentleman of the United States, he worked for DLA Piper, the third-largest law firm in the United States by revenue.

Mayor Andrew J. Ginther of Columbus, Ohio, was elected vice president of the United States Conference of Mayors. Oklahoma City (OK) Mayor David Holt was elected USCM’s Second Vice President. There were also new Trustees and Advisory Board Members appointed. Ginther will serve a one-year term as Vice-President.

“My colleagues are amazing leaders, and I’m deeply grateful for the trust they’ve placed in me,” said President Schieve.

“American mayors are driven by remarkable spirit of service, and the Conference of Mayors is a powerful vehicle for doing good. I’m eager to get to work lifting up the leadership of these women and men and collaborating to solve the great challenges facing American cities,” said Mayor Hillary Schieve.

Schieve emphasized that mental illness will be a top priority for her as the incoming president.

“My older sister, brother, and brother-in-law suffered in silence, and I do not wish to see any other family suffer in silence as my family has,” said the Mayor.

She also paid tribute to former women mayors who once served as president of the United States Conference of Mayors.

Her athletic career ended due to an illness requiring a kidney transplant. Since then, Mayor Schieve strongly advocates organ donation after her sister, former news anchor Amanda Sanchez, donated a kidney to save her life. Additionally, she is an entrepreneur, owning a franchise store for Plato’s Closet and Clothes Mentor.

The conference focused on fighting against state legislation preempting city ordinances and gun violence and raising funds and awareness for mental health crises. Newly elected and long-term mayors discussed old and new resolutions related to climate change, energy, housing, transportation, and the economy.

The US Conference of Mayors is a national, nonpartisan organization of more than 1,400 cities with populations of 30,000 or more.

Tampa (FL) will host the annual conference 2025, but Kansas City (MO) will host it in 2014. The fall leadership meeting will take place in San Diego from September 7-9, 2023, and the winter meeting, which focuses on engaging with the current administration, White House, and Congress, will take place in late January in Washington, DC.

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