At the 2023 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) conference in New York, the Clinton Foundation and Accelerator for America teamed up to host a Mayors’ Roundtable on the most pressing challenges and opportunities that city leaders are facing as they seek to advance economic mobility for residents and communities. Accelerator for America Co-Chairs Mayor Kate Gallego (Phoenix, AZ) and Mayor Quinton Lucas (Kansas City, MO) were joined for this discussion by Mayors Justin Bibb (Cleveland, OH), David Holt (Oklahoma City, OK), Steven Reed (Montgomery, AL), and Frank Scott, Jr. (Little Rock, AR), alongside federal officials and philanthropic, business, and non-profit leaders from across the country.

In the wake of unprecedented federal investments through legislation like the American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act, cities and states now face the hard work of maximizing funding and accessing benefits for their communities. From infrastructure to small business support, no one understands these needs better than mayors, but to succeed, more philanthropic and non-governmental support is critical to help the communities that have been left behind. In partnership with the Clinton Foundation and Accelerator for America, the conversation centered on this once-in-a-generation opportunity, and the associated challenges to change the trajectory of urban and regional economies around the U.S. and highlight the role non-municipal partners can play in maximizing impact and implementation.

Facilitated by Mayor Lucas, the Roundtable participants addressed topics ranging from the system issues that are open to be addressed by the unprecedented influx of federal investments and the lessons that have been learned from previous interventions, to the challenges that exist for cities and communities in accessing the new federal funds and what private sector support is needed to build capacity in more places to take advantage of place-based economic development opportunities. In particular, Mayor Lucas emphasized the need to ensure that cities and communities of all sizes and across the entire U.S. are able to position themselves for investment.

Mayor Gallego led off the discussion by emphasizing the importance of first understanding the problem that you are seeking to solve, and where can the mayor and city leadership plug in to develop and advance needed solutions and investments. Even as the fifth largest city in the country and one that is incredibly well-positioned to benefit from federal investments through the CHIPS and Science Act and other programs, Phoenix still has gaps in its workforce and small business pipeline and affordable housing market that must be addressed in order to ensure that its growth will be inclusive for all citizens.

Mayor as Community Convenor
As the discussion proceeded with perspectives shared by mayors, federal officials, and business and philanthropic leaders, a number of key themes emerged. First, there was an important acknowledgement of the key role that mayors can and do play in setting the vision and agenda in their cities and broader regional communities. At the local level, mayors are uniquely positioned to convene stakeholders and community members, and to bring people together around shared goals. Increasingly, it is critical for mayors to be able to reach across party lines in order to get things done that require regional and state coordination and participation. Economic and community development and infrastructure investments can present opportunities to bridge political divides, if approached in a strategic way. Whether it is a high-quality grocery store opening in a food desert, or a multi-billion dollar tunnel construction project, participants noted how important it is to ensure that community residents can physically see changes and have clear pathways to accessing jobs or other opportunities related to these projects in order to generate energy and momentum around long-term change.

Workforce Development Key to Success
It was clear in the discussion that workforce development, and the need to build and strengthen pathways to connect residents to the job opportunities that are being created through the new federal investments and beyond, is top of mind for local leaders. Mayors and their partners are particularly focused on removing barriers and creating re-skilling opportunities for specific populations, including adults without a college degree and those whose jobs are at higher risk of automation. Due to systemic discrimination and having been locked out of prior opportunities, these impacts are disproportionately born by communities of color. Again, the critical importance of the mayor’s role in convening and setting out a clear agenda and priorities to address disparities and create more equitable economic opportunity was emphasized.

Local leaders should ensure that employers in growing industry sectors are strongly connected to higher educational institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions, as well as workforce training and apprenticeship programs so that these opportunities can be highly customized to meet current and future employer needs and increase placement success for participants. Community-based organizations that have trusted relationships with community residents must be engaged to build the talent pipeline. New and different skills are emerging as in-demand for legacy industries, such as the construction industry’s increasing use of robotics, which requires timely updates to curriculum and training practices and re-thinking what can be considered apprenticeable trades. Employers should also be encouraged to evaluate degree and credentialing requirements for their positions, to remove unnecessary barriers to accessing job opportunities. It was also noted that addressing workforce development should be a key focus for all federal infrastructure funding applications. From weatherization of existing buildings to broadband deployment, federal funds have started to flow and the need for speed and urgency at the local and national level was emphasized.

Equitable Small Business Opportunities
In addition to workforce development, the discussion also raised the question of how to drive more equitable small business growth opportunities, particularly in light of new federal requirements for participation. This is especially important when considering the growth opportunities in traded sectors, which often have higher barriers to entry in terms of up-front capital investment. The role of community development financial institutions (CDFIs) as key partners in both raising and deploying capital and business support services that are tailored to meet small business needs was emphasized, along with the importance of local leaders engaging with these organizations to understand and support the capacity needs of CDFIs.

Up Next…
A final, critical question posed in the Roundtable was what happens when the federal money runs out and what strategies and cross-sector partnerships can be created to ensure long-term sustainability of the community investments around workforce, affordable housing, and small business support. It was first noted that even with the influx of federal dollars, local public or philanthropic resources are required to successfully pursue federal funds, meet federal matching requirements, and operate or maintain new infrastructure investments. In order to maximize these opportunities, city leaders noted the importance of participating in national networks to share and generate ideas and solutions from other places, as well as establishing long-term public-private-philanthropic partnerships, which should also include community-based organizations. Enabling and establishing leadership systems that can outlive a political administration and can bridge any state-local partisan divide will be a critical element in sustaining the long-term impact of today’s investments.

Following from the Roundtable discussion, we encourage mayors across the country to embrace their roles as “conveners-in-chief” to maximize the impact of federal investments by establishing and advancing strategies around inclusive workforce development and equitable small business growth strategies. To initiate this effort, mayors can immediately:

Designate a senior team member to assess the current landscape and existing efforts and to identify key organizations and stakeholders, including employers and community based organizations, that must be at the table.
Connect individually with key leaders whose active engagement in the collective efforts will be critical for success. Examples would include the president of the local community college and the head of the community foundation or other philanthropic funders.
Lay out a compelling vision for what success will look like and what can be achieved by coming together to address gaps and challenges and maximize the opportunities of this moment where federal and local investment can align to address long-standing disparities and create pathways to new economic opportunity for communities.
Bring together employers, entrepreneurs, labor leaders, and economic and workforce development partners to identify the key sectors where workforce development and skills training will be needed in the next several years - whether it's emerging technologies like the electric vehicle ecosystem or existing trade skills for infrastructure building.
Communicate the key areas where philanthropy and corporate support can assist in their place-based economic development strategies. This does not have to be limited to private actors based in their regions, but a more broad statement about the gaps where the philanthropic community and private sector can engage.

About Accelerator for America

Accelerator for America (AFA) is a national non-profit organization that works with mayors and their leadership teams to advance economic mobility for city residents. AFA finds, develops, shares, scales, and replicates the most promising solutions from across the country, working with cities of all sizes around common challenges and opportunities. Since 2021, AFA has been
working with cities to help them maximize this historic moment of new investment. AFA has published guidebooks, playbooks, and other news you can use as well as worked within cohorts and communities of practice to build capacity in cities and provide the technical assistance our local leaders need for success. AFA works daily with a network of over 50 mayors and more than 70 economic and community development organizations across the country.

About The Clinton Global Initiative

Launched by President Clinton in 2005, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) has built a community of doers who are taking action to make a tangible difference in people’s lives around the world. CGI works with partners to develop Commitments to Action - new, specific, and measurable solutions in climate resilience, health equity, humanitarian response, and inclusive economic recovery and growth. Since 2005, more than 3,900 Commitments to Action have been launched through CGI. In a letter to the CGI community this summer, President Clinton, Secretary Clinton, and Chelsea Clinton said this year’s focus is on how to “keep going” in spite of the difficulties that arise - to build a stronger future for all.

Clinton Global Initiative + Accelerator for America Mayors’ Roundtable