Mayor Todd Gloria has been elected vice president of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) -- giving San Diego an influential leadership position from which to advocate for common-sense solutions to the serious issues facing cities across the country. 

“I am honored by this opportunity to serve as vice president of the United States Conference of Mayors,” Mayor Todd Gloria said. “This is an extremely challenging time for America’s cities, as we work through a deeply divided environment in Washington, D.C., to deliver more housing that working families can afford, lower the cost of living, and keep our communities safe. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance thoughtful, bipartisan solutions to drive positive change in the nation’s Capitol and improve the quality of life for all of us.” 

The USCM is the official, non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are over 1,400 such cities in the country today. The members of the Conference are mayors from across the country who advocate for policies and resources that directly impact the lives of city residents.  

As Vice President, Mayor Gloria will help shape the Conference’s advocacy agenda, guide the organization’s policy priorities, and serve as a leading voice for America’s cities on the national stage. Mayor Gloria will serve as vice president through June 2026 and will be poised to serve as the next president of the Conference. He would be the first mayor of San Diego to serve as president.  

Mayor Gloria ran for mayor in 2020 with an overarching goal to make San Diego the world-class city that he has always believed it is destined to become. Since being elected, he has pursued that goal by advancing policies that make it easier to build more homes, reduce homelessness, repair roads and upgrade critical infrastructure, eliminate a longstanding structural budget deficit, and ensure that San Diego remains one of the safest cities in the country. 

He has also successfully connected San Diego to other global cities, playing an instrumental role in bringing new direct flights to Amsterdam, Panama City, and Washington, D.C., and overseeing the successful effort to make the San Diego-Tijuana megaregion the 2024 World Design Capital. 

He brings that same energy to his elevated position with USCM, whose membership has seen his key leadership qualities and identified his unique ability to articulate the challenges that cities and their residents face and lead the way toward solutions. 

“This is about bringing San Diego’s experience and leadership to the national conversation and strengthening our alliances to ensure cities have a seat at the table,” Mayor Gloria added. “We’ve proven that when local governments are empowered and resourced, we can deliver real progress. I’m proud to represent San Diego and stand alongside other mayors who are working everyday to solve problems and improve lives.”  

USCM held its annual meeting June 19 through 22. In addition to choosing new leadership, including electing Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt as president, the annual meeting served as an opportunity to develop the organization’s policy advocacy priorities for the year ahead. During the meeting, Mayor Gloria sponsored and passed six policy resolutions:   

·      Opposing the renaming of Department of Defense assets honoring civil-rights leaders, such as the U.S.N.S. Harvey Milk 

·      Supporting federal investments in ocean pier infrastructure  

·      Supporting the classification of safe parking programs as interim shelters 

·      Supporting the extension of funding for the federal Emergency Housing Vouchers Program 

·      Supporting the passage of the Naomi Schwartz and Susan Rose Safe Parking Act  

·      Supporting the passage of the Revitalizing Downtowns Act  

Mayor Gloria was elected to the USCM Advisory Board in 2021, and then as a trustee in 2022. Since June 2024, Mayor Gloria served as the second vice president of USCM. In addition to serving on the Conference’s Executive Committee, Mayor Gloria is the co-chair of the Conference’s LGBTQ Alliance and serves on the Criminal and Social Justice Committee.