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Reno, the biggest little city

My visit to Reno, Nevada for the National League of Cities Congress of Cities Conference was a little bittersweet as it was my last official duty as President of the National League of Cities. I can honestly say that my tenure as President was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done in my life. Going to Reno was exciting and I knew that they would do a great job in hosting our event. Mayor Bob Cashell was a great host and his enthusiasm was infectious. Everyone seemed to have a great time. The sessions were great and the closing event was one of the nicest I have ever attended. My room was great and my family really enjoyed "living" in the Presidential Suite. It was on the 38th floor and had a great view of Reno.

One of the nicest parts of the Reno trip was having my family with me. We got to spend a lot of time together and really had a great time. We even had a stretch limo to the airport.

The following is an article that I wrote for Nation's City Weekly:

A Truly Great Year — My Tenure as NLC President
by James C. Hunt“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it — but sail we must and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”This quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes best sums up my year as President of the National League of Cities. After my travels throughout our great country and my visits with thousands of fellow city officials, I must tell you that I am so proud of the work that has taken place this year. We have fought many valiant battles and achieved many significant successes, but it is the direction in which the National League of Cities is moving that I am most proud. Cities face some of the most formidable obstacles in the history of our country and yet we move forward on behalf of our citizens with an attitude of teamwork.The renewal of the Voting Rights Act was an achievement that signaled a renewed commitment to building a country that can proudly state, “We the People.” I stood on the lawn of the White House with Mayor James Perkins Jr., of Selma, Ala., and we reflected how the mantle had passed and there is a new generation to continue the struggle of human rights. We also made significant progress with the increase in funding for the Community Development Block Grant program. Our success in lobbying our federal partners was proof of the value of a strong national organization. We joined with others in a broad coalition to reverse a seven year decline in funding and provide needed community development funds to our cities. The voice of cities was heard loud and clear from the smallest village to Washington, D.C. This effort has to be sustained if we are to have success in the future.I made a personal commitment to represent the National League of Cities in an honorable manner and to dedicate my time towards achieving our shared vision of Building a Nation of Inclusive Communities. My travels took me through more than 40 airports and I was literally “above the earth” for more than two weeks. I was received by thousands of city officials with open arms and unbelievable hospitality. My interactions with our members will be the memories that I will take with me from this year. A quiet dinner in Portland, Maine, a country concert in Hot Springs, Ark., a ballgame in Denver and hundreds of other special memories. The National League of Cities is a community of special people, who love their communities and work hard to make them better.The growth of the Inclusive Communities Program has been heart warming to me. We started with a blank sheet of paper and a vision. Through the work of countless individuals, this effort has built a foundation that will far outlive my year as President. Millions of citizens have already been touched by our program and it continues to build and develop. It has not always been easy, but I am proud of the fact that the National League of Cities took a stand. I spent hours on the phone with local reporters from cities considering joining the effort. It was sometimes controversial, but we stood our ground and made the “Power of We” a true power. We did this together. And finally, one of my last trips as President of the National League of Cities was to Marrakech, Morocco, to attend the United Cities and Local Governments meeting. I was heartened to learn that the inclusive communities movement is one that is being embraced throughout the world. We each have a role and I am proud that the National League of Cities is joining this effort to break down walls and barriers and create a world of peace and opportunity for all. We must not be an isolationist and think that we can live above the fray. As the Dali Lama said, “Responsibility does not only lie with the leaders of our countries or with those who have been appointed or elected to do a particular job. It lies with each of us individually. Peace, for example, starts within each one of us. When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us.”On a personal note, my year as President of the National League of Cities has been one that required a tremendous sacrifice from my family and my city. My grass did not always get cut and the suitcase was rarely put away in the attic. I did learn to manage my time better and I found that sleep is a highly overrated activity. My brother continues to bravely battle his illness and he remains my inspiration. My wife and children were a great support and made the year one that I will never forget. It has been my humble honor to serve as President of our great organization and I am forever indebted to our staff and members.

West Virginia Public Radio

I was interviewed this week by Beth Vorhees on West Virginia Public Radio. If you would like to hear the interview you can click on: http://www.wvpubcast.org/radio/newsroom/default.asp

A few more pictures of Alaska. As you can see, the snow was falling and accumulated to about three feet. I've gotten a few e-mails from league members in Alaska and they say that it is still unusally snowy. My wife and sister-in-law, Susan had also never visited Alaska and I think we got a good taste of what most Alaskans deal with every year. We did bring the right clothes and the cold was really not a big problem. One thing that I learned was that Juneau is fairly landlocked and the only way to travel to other parts of Alaska is by plane or ferry.

You can see that snow removal takes a while on the narrow streets of Juneau. While we did eat at some great restaurants we did make a stop at the local McDonalds. We also ate at the world famous Red Dog Saloon. The ribs were great!!!

More pics from Morocco

I've been having trouble getting my pictures uploaded but I think Ihave it worked out. The pictures are from the "old" city and from the Hotel Mansour. It is really like two different worlds in Marrakech. The old city is dominated by carts and mules and small shops, while the hotel was like a top flight resort in Florida. The middle picture is of my wife Pam, Mayor Clarence Anthony of South Bay, Florida and Carol Borut, the wife of Don Borut, the Executive Director of the National League of Cities. The weather was in the low 70's and the pool was a little bit cool.

I'll have some more pictures of Juneau coming soon.

Municipal Leader of the Year

Link to article: http://americancityandcounty.com/

Today is a real highlight of my life. I have known for about six weeks that I was selected as the American City and County Magazine's "Municipal Leader of the Year". I am quite humbled by this unique honor. I have read the American City and County Magazine for many years and have always enjoyed it's coverage of municipal issues. Likewise, I would read with interest the stories on the past Municipal Leaders of the Year. Friends like Mayor Bob Knight of Wichita, Kansas and Mayor Don Plusquellic of Akron, Ohio have won the award in the past and I could honestly never imagine being chosen.

I was especially excited because very few councilmembers have ever been chosen for this award and very few officials from cities the size of Clarksburg have ever received the award. I think that this truly points out the power of the Inclusive Communities Program. I believe that we have created a program that far surpasses any one individual. I am so appreciative of the many people that have helped with the Inclusive Communities Program. They are the true Leaders of the Year.

One funny thing about the award was that I was receiving e-mails and calls from throughout the country congratulating me on the award and I had not seen the article. It was really hard when I spoke to people who had the magazine and I was too embarassed to admit that I didn't have a copy of the article yet. I guess when they distribute magazines, West Virginia is not on the first round of deliveries. I did get my copy today and I have to say it is really odd, looking at a magazine, with your picture on the front cover.

I am one of the most fortunate people in the world. I am so grateful to be associated with such a great organization as the National League of Cities. The members and staff of NLC are dedicated and committed public servants. I have always been proud to represent the National League of Cities.

I can't imagine a better year and one that I will never forget.

North to Alaska

One of the trips that I looked forward to all year was the trip to Juneau, Alaska. I think everyone wonders what Alaska is like and what type of people live in our largest state. The flight into Juneau was one that I will never forget. We left Seattle, Washington on our way to Ketchican. The plane made three attempts to land in a blinding snowstorm and was successful on the third. The runway was covered and the snow was not letting up. We left for Juneau and after one attempt at a sideways landing, the pilot wisely headed to Anchorage. We slept in the airport and left for Juneau at 6:00AM the next morning. Juneau is normally very rainy and the snow was unusual according to the locals. The sun was barely up at around 8:00AM and the couple that we shared a cab said that it might be the last time that we saw the snow. They were right!!!

The people were very nice and really liked to talk. My good friend Kevin Ritchie acted as our guide and took us to the Mendenhall Glaicer and other sites. Kevin is the former Executive Director of the Alaska Municipal League and is a really great guy. We got to visit his home and had lunch overlooking Downtown Juneau. He has a really nice home and he is training a new Golden Retriever puppy.

Alaska is really all that everyone says it is. The beauty of the snow covered mountains is something that I will never forget. We got to see several eagles and apparently this was not unusual. The snow was about three feet deep and it really gets you in the mood for Christmas. I don't know if I could take it all winter, but it was really nice to walk down snow covered streets and just enjoy the scenary.

All in all, it was a very nice visit to Alaska. 

Marrakech, Morocco

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the meeting of the United Cities and Local Governments(UCLG) in Marrakech, Morocco. It was a wonderful trip and one that was different than any I had ever made.

Marrakech (مراكش marrākiš), or Marrakesh known as the "Pearl of the South," is a city in southwestern Morocco in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Marrakech is a Berber word; it could mean the country of God (murt 'n akush), but this is unproven as there are many other interpretations. Marrakech is located at 31°37′60″N, 8°0′0″W Marrakech has the largest traditional market (souk) in Morocco and also hosts the busiest square in the entire continent of Africa, called Djemaa el Fna. Like many North African and Middle Eastern cities, Marrakech has two main divisions: the old city (médina) and the modern city. Marrakech is an unbelieveable city with so much life and activity. Walking down a narrow street in the Medina(town square) gives you the feeling of going back in time. Things seem to be the same as it was centuries ago. It is the most exotic place I have ever visited and blends a modern city with the historic past. I was naturally concerned with the reception that we would receive, since Morocco is a Muslim country. It could not have been better and I think I learned, once again, not to believe everything you hear on the news. They were very welcoming and I had the opportunity to meet several public officials from Morocco. I also met the Mayor of Beirut, Lebanon and he has been working on rebuilding his city since the recent bombing from Israel. He told us that Beirut has around 400 bridges and that over half were destroyed. There is an international movement concerning Social Inclusion and I attended a committee meeting on this issue. They were quite interested in the Inclusive Communities Program of the National League of Cities and I hope to be engaged with them in the future. I'll post some pictures and some additional comments in the upcoming days.