Dickens heads to Washington, D.C., for meeting of mayors

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is in Washington, D.C. this week to mingle with other mayors, Biden administration officials and Congressional leaders.

He’s traveling for a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors — a powerful non-partisan organization made up of 1,400 of the nation’s city leaders. Dickens chairs the conference’s Public-Private Partnership Task Force that focuses on building relationships between government and the private sector.

While there, he’ll moderate two panels: one on how to partner with privately-owned businesses to enhance equity, and another on how local leaders can leverage federal funds to address local priorities.

The three-day event will provide Dickens with a crucial opportunity to rub elbows and pitch alliances with the nation’s metropolitan leaders and White House officials who weigh in on policy decisions.

A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said that during his trip, Dickens would “meet with various White House officials to advocate on the needs of Atlanta.”

Biden officials speaking at the conference this week are U.S. Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su. Congressional speakers include House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY.

Atlanta’s mayor has frequently met with senior White House advisors and federal department officials during his first term in office, including a recent visit from the U.S. Department of Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo to show off the city’s 2 Peachtree affordable housing project.

According to a review of Dickens daily calendars, in recent months he’s met with top White House staff like Senior Adviser Mitch Landrieu and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez.

Dickens is slated to play a leadership role during President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential bid. In May, Biden announced that Dickens was chosen among 50 high-profile Democrats as part of the Biden-Harris 2024 reelection campaign advisory board. U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock is the only other elected official from Georgia included in the group.

Aside from his involvement with the White House, Dickens has become a prominent player among the nation’s local elected officials. In November, Atlanta hosted the National League of Cities — an annual mass gathering of local politicians.

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