NLC Immediate Past President Chris Coleman, First Vice President Matt Zone, President Melodee Colbert-Kean, Second Vice President Mark Stodola, and CEO & Executive Director Clarence Anthony take a moment to have some fun at the NLC Advisory Council Meeting on Sunday, March 6.

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser brings greetings at the Opening General Session on Monday, March 7.

Following Mayor Bowser’s speech, Mike Rizer, Executive Vice President and Director of Community Relations at Wells Fargo Bank, announced that NLC will launch a new program on Leadership in Community Resilience, made possible by a $325,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation.

NLC Presidential Election Task Force co-chairs Betsy Price, mayor, Fort Worth, Texas, and Karen Freeman-Wilson, mayor, Gary, Indiana, rally the opening general session crowd around NLC’s Cities Lead 2016 campaign.

NLC President Melodee Colbert-Kean welcomes conference delegates to the Opening General Session on Monday, March 7.

NLC President Melodee Colbert-Kean and National Association of Counties (NACo) President Sallie Clark announce the members of a new joint national task force to address our nation's opioid and heroin abuse crisis at the opening general session.

NLC President Melodee Colbert-Kean speaks about the importance of cities staying on the forefront of the opioid and heroin crisis in America. From left: NLC First Vice President Matt Zone; NACo President Sallie Clark; NACo Executive Director Matt Chase; NLC CEO & Executive Director Clarence Anthony; and Second NLC Second Vice President Mark Stodola.

Republican political strategist Ana Navarro was the keynote speaker at the Opening General Session on Monday, March 7.

NLC CEO & Executive Director Clarence Anthony and NLC President Melodee Colbert-Kean share a laugh during Ana Navarro’s speech. Ana used humor to appeal to voters of all political parties and delivered some insightful commentary about the 2016 presidential candidates.

NLC members react to Ana Navarro’s speech. Her sense of humor had the audience laughing enthusiastically throughout her speech, yet she also offered some interesting analyses, such as when she described Donald Trump’s appeal to some Americans as a direct result of his marketing and branding skills. In the end, however, it was her light-hearted approach that won the audience’s appreciation.

NLC First Vice President Matt Zone applauds Ana Navarro following her speech.

NLC Second Vice President Mark Stodola, U.S. HUD Secretary Julian Castro, and U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy share a laugh behind the scenes of the Afternoon General Session on Monday, March 7.

From left: Jay Williams, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development; Karol Mason, Assistant Attorney General for Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice; Anthony Foxx, Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation; Julián Castro, Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and NLC CEO & Executive Director Clarence Anthony discuss local-federal partnerships during the Afternoon General Session on March 7.

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy delivers an impassioned speech on the Flint water crisis during the Afternoon General Session on Monday, March 7.

Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet discusses during the Afternoon General Session how cities can make their communities more regulatory-friendly to entrepreneurship.

Bruce Katz, Centennial Scholar at the Brookings Institution, sets the context for panel discussion on Federalism at the Afternoon General Session on March 7.

From left: Bruce Katz, Centennial Scholar at the Brookings Institution; Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, Gary, Indiana; NLC Immediate Past President Chris Coleman; and Jerry Abramson, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House.

NLC’s Senior Executive and Director of Federal Advocacy Carolyn Coleman speaks about the importance of federal-local partnerships during the panel discussion on Monday, March 7. Her Federal Advocacy team conducted more than 15 workshops during the conference and arranged more than 200 meetings on Capitol Hill between local elected officials and Congressional representatives on Wednesday, March 9.

NLC President Melodee Colbert-Kean and NLC CEO & Executive Director Clarence Anthony pose for a picture with Obama Administration officials.

NLC CEO & Executive Director Clarence Anthony shares a laugh with U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, who was a guest speaker at last year’s Congressional City Conference.

More than 200 youth delegates and young elected officials from around the country gathered at the conference to talk about the next generation of leadership and discuss important issues. This year’s youth delegation enjoyed a number of exciting events, including a mock presidential caucus held during their National Youth Convention, during which they took on the challenges of developing a National Youth Platform and choosing their candidates for the presidential bid.

Conference delegates pose for a photo in front of the Cities Lead 2016 booth. Last fall, NLC launched the Cities Lead 2016 campaign to make city issues a focus in the 2016 presidential election. NLC has asked presidential candidates to focus on the three issues highlighted as most important to city leaders in this year's State of the Cities survey: the economy, investment in infrastructure, and public safety.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack discusses the Obama Administration’s efforts to tackle the opioid epidemic at the Closing General Session on March 8.

Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson provides delegates an insightful look into the 2016 election during the Closing General Session on March 8.

District of Columbia Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton spoke about the importance of city leadership on Wednesday, March 9 on Capitol Hill.

NLC First Vice President Matt Zone discusses the impact of opioid and heroin addiction on communities and solutions to the problem with Director of National Drug Control Policy Michael Botticelli.

NLC CEO & Executive Director Clarence Anthony facilitates a discussion with U.S. Department of Labor Deputy Secretary Chris Lu on the importance of local leadership on paid leave, summer jobs, apprenticeships and other workforce investments.

NLC CEO & Executive Director Clarence Anthony greets Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarret, who commended local leaders on their efforts to build stronger communities.

Youth delegates and city leaders listen to Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Jerry Abramson during a visit to the White House on Wednesday, March 9.

Even Teddy and Abe took a break from their duties as the Washington Nationals mascots to visit with city leaders.

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and NLC First Vice President Matt Zone are excited about the 2016 City Summit, November 16-19, 2016. Formerly known as the Congress of Cities, the 2016 City Summit will be hosted in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a once-industrial town which has transformed into a beautiful and vibrant city. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience the new Pittsburgh by attending the NLC City Summit this fall! We look forward to seeing you there.