In July, Conference President Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer tasked five working groups of mayors with developing critical recommendations and breakthrough actions needed for cities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, facilitate a rapid economic and employment recovery, and cultivate a more equitable distribution of income and wealth for all Americans. These recommendations were the foundation of our Mayors’ 2020 Vision: An American Breakthrough document.

To energize and breathe life into the mayors’ recommendations, the United States Conference of Mayors partnered with Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg to hold a series of virtual roundtable discussions throughout the month of October, featuring key mayors and prominent CEOs engaged in dialogue on some of the biggest challenges facing America’s cities. Each of the roundtables in this series were moderated by Yahoo! Finance Editor-in-Chief Andy Serwer.

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed America into a quick and deep recession, at a time when the middle class was shrinking and the disproportionate distribution of wealth was already at an all-time high. This session includes a discussion of the need for immediate fiscal relief for all U.S. cities, short- and long-term strategies to facilitate rapidly recovering employment and more equitable distribution of income and wealth, and long-term investments to promote a national economic recovery, including infrastructure investment.

Eric Garcetti
Mayor of Los Angeles

Sylvester Turner
Mayor of Houston

Kate Gallego
Mayor of Phoenix

Greg Fischer (Co-Host)
Mayor of Lousiville
President, United States Conference of Mayors

David Gitlin
CEO, Carrier

Joe Berchtold
President, Live Nation

Hans Vestberg (Co-Host)
CEO, Verizon

Systemic racism prevents America from realizing its full potential. This session covers solutions and a template for cities to support the national and local movements to dismantle systemic racism. Mayors and CEOs also examine the role of racism in public institutions and discuss recommendations to reform historic and current public policies that have led to inequitable outcomes across the country and ensure more equitable outcomes for people of color politically, socially, and economically.

Keisha Lance Bottoms
Mayor of Atlanta

Christopher L. Cabaldon
Mayor of West Sacramento

Mayor Hardie Davis Jr.
Mayor of Augusta, GA

Tom Cochran (Co-Host)
CEO and Executive Director
United States Conference of Mayors

Marc Morial
CEO, National Urban League
Former Mayor of New Orleans and Past President, United States Conference of Mayors

Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D.
President, Spelman College

Hans Vestberg (Co-Host)
CEO, Verizon

Until there is a widely available vaccine or treatment, COVID-19 continues to negatively impact the health and well-being of America. This session focus on examining federal, state, and local public health policies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, ensure a safe economic reopening, and how mayors and businesses can work together to deliver more equitable health outcomes, especially for communities of color that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Bryan Barnett
Mayor of Rochester Hills
Past President, United States Conference of Mayors

LaToya Cantrell
Mayor of New Orleans

Libby Schaaf
Mayor of Oakland

Greg Fischer (Co-Host)
Mayor of Lousiville
President, United States Conference of Mayors

Larry Merlo
CEO, CVS Health CEO

Kevin Marchetti
CEO, Lineage Logistics

Hans Vestberg (Co-Host)
CEO, Verizon

The grind of poverty impedes the dreams and potential of our people. This discussion focuses on solutions to eliminating poverty in America and increasing upward mobility through policy reforms in the areas of education, jobs, workforce disruption caused by COVID-19 and technology, opportunities for youth, affordable housing, community and economic development, banking, tax policy, and support for minority- and women-owned small businesses. Mayors and CEOs will discuss recommendations on the reforms, resources, and private and intergovernmental partnerships needed to implement economic models that create a growing and inclusive middle-class in the United States.

Michelle De La Isla
Mayor of Topeka

Bill Peduto
Mayor of Pittsburgh

Michael Tubbs
Mayor of Stockton

Tom Cochran
CEO and Executive Director
United States Conference of Mayors (Co-Host)

Carmine Di Sibio
Executive Chairman and CEO, EY

Hugh Evans
Founder and CEO, Global Citizen

Hans Vestberg
CEO, Verizon (Co-Host)

Police and community relations is at a critical juncture in America as the nation grapples with racial injustice and social unrest. This session adds to the learnings of President Obama’s 21st Century Policing Task Force and discusses new models for policing in America — including new training and technology innovations. This group leads conversations on reimagining public safety and the criminal justice system and discuss how to allocate public safety resources to human and social services providers to better address issues facing citizens across the country, including mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness.

Lori E. Lightfoot
Mayor of Chicago

Jane Castor
Mayor of Tampa

John Cranley
Mayor of Cincinnati

Greg Fischer (Co-Host)
Mayor of Lousiville
President, United States Conference of Mayors

Tom Cochran
CEO and Executive Director
United States Conference of Mayors

Charles Ramsey
Former Commissioner, Philadelphia Police Department

Michael Neidorff
Chairman and CEO, Centene Corporation

Doug McMillon
CEO, Walmart

Hans Vestberg (Co-Host)
CEO, Verizon