The World Conference of Mayors (WCM) to convene at the 11th annual convention, January 28 th – February 1 st , according to WCM Founder Johnny Ford:
We are excited to return to Orlando and Convene our 11th Annual Conference in Eatonville “The Town that Freedom Built”. The conference will bring mayors and other elected officials from throughout the US, Africa, Taiwan and other countries who will participate in training and workshops surrounding the World Conference of Mayors 7 T’s (Trust, Trade, Tourism, Technology, Twin Cities, Treasury, and Training.) The WCM was Founded in 1984 by Ford and other leaders from the U.S. and 30 countries from around the globe. Included in the number of original founders was Eatonville’s Mayor, the Late Abraham Gordon.
Among the issues the Mayors will be identifying federal state and private resources for their cities and towns. They will also be pushing for a national holiday in honor of Mrs. Rosa Parks and will kick off the 125th celebration of the National Business League, started in 1900 by Mr. Booker T. Washington. Some of the noted speakers include Dr. Roland Herts-Superintendent of the US National Parks Service Site for the Freedom Riders in Anniston and Birmingham, AL, Dr. Kenneth Harris-President of the National Business League Washington D.C.-Tuskegee, Al, Charles DeBow-President of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Jimmy Gardner of Prichard, AL -President of the World Conference of Mayors, Mayor Alberta McCrory-President of the Historic Black Towns and Settlements Alliance, along with other speakers from around the country. The Mayors will also have a special basketball clinic given by former Harlem Globe Trotters to urge young people to say no to drugs. The conference according to Ford is designed to serve as a collaborating conference for elected and appointed officials as well as provide an opportunity for the conferees to participate and support the Zora festival, which serves as a model for the Mayors to go back to their communities and conduct similar festivals to attract tourism. Mayor Angie Gardner serves as the Vice President of Tourism for the WCM because she is in an area (Eatonville/Orlando) where tourism is a major economic and commercial engine. Again, we are delighted to sleep in Orlando at the headquarters hotel, the Doubletree downtown, and hold our actual conference on Historic Eatonville and be able to walk upon the hallow grounds of Eatonville, a place where noted heroes and sheroes like Booker T. Washington and Zora Neale Hurston walked. The convention opening press conference will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday at the Town Hall of Eatonville, followed by a training session starting at 12 noon also at City Hall. Please find attached a copy of the draft agenda. For any questions, please contact WCM Founder Johnny Ford at 334-487-0174 or email repjf@aol.com, or Brittani Gragg at Brittani@townofeatonville.org.
