WASHINGTON — Ralph Becker, mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah, was elected president of National League of Cities, at the group's annual Congress of Cities and Exposition in Austin, Texas.
Becker served, for most of this year, as NLC's first vice president. He started his term as president on Saturday when he was elected. He replaces Chris Coleman, who will become NLC's immediate-past president.
The organization also elected Melodee Colbert-Kean, zone councilmember of Joplin, Mo., as first vice president, and Matt Zone, councilman of Cleveland, Ohio, as its second vice president.
The new officers were selected by a 15-member nominating committee and were elected by NLC's membership to serve a one-year term.
Becker has been mayor of Salt Lake City since 2008. Before that, he was a member of the House of Representatives for 11 years, since 1996. He also served in legislative leadership positions for most of his tenure, including five years as minority leader, according to his biography at Salk Lake City's government site.
NLC also announced the group's new board of directors, who were also elected Saturday.
Fourteen elected officials and four state municipal league director will serve two-year terms at NLC's board of directors. They include: Matthew Appelbaum of Colorado; Wally Campbell of Arizona; Dennis Doyle, Oregon; Jasmine Gore, Virginia; Elvi Gray-Jackson, Alaska; Mary Hamann-Roland, Minnesota; and Klaus Hanson, Wyoming.
Also included are: Michael Kasperzak, of California; Kathy Maness, Kentucky; Thomas McCarthy, Connecticut; Bill Peloza, Washington; Jermaine Reed, Missouri; Michael Sesma, Maryland; P.C. Wu, Florida; Matt Greller, executive director of Indiana Association of Cities and Towns; Alan Kemp, executive director of Iowa League of Cities; Lamar Norton, executive director of Georgia Municipal League; and Bennett Sandlin, executive director of Texas Municipal League.
Leland Cheung, city councilor of Cambridge, Mass., will serve a one-year term on the NLC board.
