Troy City Councilwoman Dejerilyn King Henderson was appointed to the National League of Cities 2015 University Communities Council.

The University Communities Council s made up of elected or appointed officials from communities that are impacted by a university. Henderson said being able to represent a growing a prosperous university as exciting for her.

“It means a lot to me because it gives me an opportunity to help further the community that steers the policies that are actually voted on in Congress,” Henderson said.

With her position on the University Communities Council, Henderson said she would have a first-hand impact on the university and the Troy community by being able to share problems and opportunities unique to university communities.

Some of the key issues, according to Henderson, are economic development, transportation and infrastructure, sustainability, noise and other nuisances, housing and neighborhood concerns and partnerships between the university and the City of Troy.

Henderson said having a position with Troy City Council had given her a great advantage when participating with committees such as these, because she’s already well informed about the community and its needs.

“I’m hoping to be able to have an impact with our congressional leadership to understand that as a small city with a university their decisions do affect us whether they think they do or not,” Henderson said.

Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the National League of Cities Clarence Anthony said the council provided an important voice for towns and cities with universities in them.

“The University Communities Council provides an important voice for the nation’s university cities and towns,” Anthony said. “Services on this council helps to ensure that the challenges and opportunities faced by university cities are heard on a national level, from Capitol Hill to the White House.”

The National League of Cities is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. The NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

Henderson said she hoped that by being vocal about her positions with the NLC, more community members will become involved with the governmental process.

“I am extremely passionate about being politically involved and educated,” Henderson said. “I’m also passionate about our citizens getting engaged in the politics. You don’t have to be a politician or an elected official to play a role in the political process. I’m hoping to get people involved in every aspect of the political field and keep them informed.”