Troy City Councilwoman Dejerilyn King Henderson recently returned from a trip to Washington, D.C. She joined more than 1,500 local elected officials and city leaders at the National League of Cities’ Congressional City Conference in Washington March 7 to 13.
The National League of Cities is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, offering training to elected officials and lobbying for the interests of the small towns it represents.
The five-day conference is designed to connect cities to Capitol Hill and build skills to better govern, serve and advocate for constituents in Troy.
Henderson is a member of the Human Development Policy and Advocacy Committee for the organization and sits on the board of directors for Women in Municipal Government.
“I joined those boards and committees so I could take a leadership role in the decision-making process on a national level,” she said.
She is a fellow of the National League of Cities University and participated in workshops like Strengthening Families and Cities: Connecting Residents to Federal and State Benefits. As a member of the Human Development Policy and Advocacy committee and the Human Development Steering committee, Henderson participated in learning sessions about universal pre-kindergarten and financing economic development.
The general sessions featured members of the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Transportation along with the President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Council of Shopping Centers.
The Congressional City Conference featured several announcements, including the creation of the “Homeless Veterans Leadership Network,” which challenges cities to end veteran homelessness in their communities in 2015.
Henderson looks forward to sharing what she has learned with her constituents. She has tips on funding available to those who want to start a business.
“That’s why I go,” Henderson said. “I’m not going to stay in fancy hotels or something like that. I’m going to learn how to help my people. That’s what they elected me for and that’s my goal.”