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Published on June 24, 2024
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria Elected Second Vice President of U.S. Conference of Mayors, Poised for Future PresidencySource: City of San Diego

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has climbed another rung on the leadership ladder of the United States Conference of Mayors, now elected to serve as the body's second vice president. This position places him on track to eventually helm the organization as its president in the future, specifically projected for the year 2026. "I am honored and humbled by this opportunity to serve in these leadership roles during the next three years," Mayor Gloria said, highlighting his intentions to utilize the collective voice of mayors to address poignant issues like high housing costs, homelessness, aging infrastructure, and community safety.

In his ascent through the ranks, after fulfilling his role as second vice president through June 2025, Mayor Gloria is earmarked to take on the role of first vice president and, should the pattern hold, will likely become the 84th President of the mayoral conference soon afterwards. In the leadership spectrum of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the president acts as the principal representative and voice of the institution, a torch carried by past figures such as Mitch Landrieu and Antonio Villaraigosa. The mayor's journey through the Conference's hierarchy has been rapid, with his election to the Advisory Board occurring in 2021 and his appointment as a trustee the following year.

According to statements from the City of San Diego, Mayor Gloria co-chairs the Conference’s LGBTQ Alliance. He serves as vice chair for border policy on the Criminal and Social Justice Committee. His historic rise to the presidential position will mark him as the first openly gay president of the organization and also as the first San Diego mayor to claim the prominent title. The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official non-partisan organization of cities with populations north of 30,000, encompassing over 1,400 cities nationwide—each represented by its chief elected official.

The Conference's structure fosters peer-elected leadership, ensuring mayors nationwide have a voice in the organization's forward motion. Its governance is further supported by trustees who sit on the governing board and the Advisory Board, representing the ground level of Conference leadership. The president acts as a spokesperson but also embodies the collective action and direction of a network of city leaders.