The National League of Cities (NLC) has announced that eight new cities that will participate in its annual Leadership in Community Resilience program. Each city will receive $10,000 in direct financial support and at least 12 months of technical assistance, staff support, and professional development opportunities for community leaders to help them meet specific resiliency goals.

All eight of the 2019 designated cities have been recognized by ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, for establishing the position of professional local government manager or administrator, and six of the eight currently employ an ICMA member. These highly trained, experienced senior-level executives are appointed by elected officials to oversee the day-to-day operations of a community. The eight cities include: Anchorage, Alaska; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Denton, Texas; Durham, North Carolina; Evanston, Illinois; Jersey City, New Jersey; Park City, Utah; and Roeland Park, Kansas.

NLC’s Leadership in Community Resilience program “builds the capacity of cities across America to take action on climate change,” according to Cooper Martin, program director for NLC’s Sustainable Cities Institute. The program, which is in its third year, was created to generate new approaches to the challenges and opportunities associated with local resilience initiatives. NLC’s Leadership in Community Resilience program is generously supported by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Wells Fargo. Thriving Earth Exchange and ecoAmerica will provide technical assistance and additional tools and resources to support the cohort of cities.