Los Angeles Council Member Joe Buscaino Elected as National League of Cities President

Nov 25, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jill Oviatt, (916) 658-8228, Cell: (916) 882-8656

Sacramento — Los Angeles Council Member and League of California Cities Board Member Joe Buscaino was elected as the National League of Cities (NLC) president on Saturday, Nov. 23, during the NLC City Summit in San Antonio, TX. Buscaino will serve a one-year term as president of the nation’s largest and most representative membership and advocacy organization for cities and their leaders.

“In 2020, I will lead with urgency on the issue of homelessness. I will lead with urgency as we strengthen the federal-local partnership. And I will lead with urgency and support the efforts of NLC members to build innovation-driven economies in their communities,” said Council Member Buscaino. “I am very proud to lead an organization that is inclusive and represents all Americans! National League of Cities brings us together so that we can work together and lead together.”

Council Member Buscaino has represented the 15th District of Los Angeles since 2012. During this time, he has served on a number of committees, including as committee chair for Public Works and Gang Reduction and for Trade, Travel and Tourism (overseeing the Port of Los Angeles, LAX and the LA Tourism Bureau); and as committee vice chair for Public Safety and for Economic Development. Prior to his election to the city council, Buscaino served for 15 years as a police officer in the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), creating the LAPD’s first Teen Community Police Advisory Board, an organization that works with teens to problem solve and break the barriers between police and teenagers. In 2011, this program was adopted on a citywide level.

“During a time when cities across the country need a stronger partnership with the federal government to address challenges like housing affordability, homelessness, infrastructure and more, I am delighted that Joe will lead NLC and bring the voice of California’s cities to a national stage,” said League of California Cities Executive Director Carolyn Coleman.

NLC CEO and Executive Director Clarence Anthony welcomed the newly elected president, saying, “NLC is excited to welcome Council Member Joe Buscaino as the new president of our organization. The urgency with which he leads in Los Angeles and the state of California will be applied to the national stage. We look forward to a productive and successful year, where he will lead on the issue of homelessness, strengthen the federal-local partnership, and drive local economies through innovation.”

NLC officers serving with Buscaino are First Vice President Kathy Maness, Council Member, Lexington, South Carolina; Second Vice President Vince Williams, Mayor, Union City, Georgia; and Immediate Past President Karen Freeman-Wilson, Mayor, Gary, Indiana.

Coleman earned a spot on NLC’s board (also appointed to the NLC Legal Advisory Committee), along with the following California city officials: 

  • Mayor Pro Tem Lindsey Horvath, West Hollywood (appointed Human Development Federal Advocacy Committee Chair)
  • Vice Mayor Corina Lopez, San Leandro (appointed Information Technology and Communications Federal Advocacy Committee Chair)
  • Mayor Pro Tem Richard Montgomery, Manhattan Beach
  • Council Member Monica Rodriguez, Los Angeles (appointed Public Safety and Crime Prevention Federal Advocacy Committee Chair) 

California city officials serving on the NLC board of directors also earn spots on the League of California Cities board of directors.

Established in 1898, the League of California Cities is a nonprofit statewide association that advocates for cities with the state and federal governments and provides education and training services to elected and appointed city officials.