Gloria Betcher was appointed to serve as vice-chair of the National League of Cities (NLC) University Communities Council, an NLC member council. Betcher, a professor in the English Department at Iowa State University, has served on the Ames City Council since 2014.
NLC member councils connect municipal officials whose communities share common characteristics. Members share best practices with peers from around the country, generating policy ideas and creative solutions to the unique challenges facing university cities.
“When local officials share their successes, the entire nation benefits,” said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities (NLC). “The National League of Cities member councils give city leaders from across the nation a place to convene and identify the tools they need to address challenges in their communities.”
In addition to networking and information sharing opportunities, member councils also contribute to NLC’s advocacy efforts, ensuring that the needs of university communities are reflected in NLC’s National Municipal Policy.
Betcher looks forward to working with the University Communities Council as a means of sharing best practices with other similar cities. “Since my election to City Council, I have worked to establish a One Community vision for the City of Ames, long-term Ames residents, Iowa State University, and its 36,000 plus students. I live in a near-campus neighborhood, which makes me all the more committed to understanding and addressing the problems and opportunities of university communities like Ames,” Betcher said.
The University Communities Council is specific to elected officials from NLC member cities with an institution of higher education within their borders or within adjacent municipalities. The Council will meet again in March of 2018 at the Congressional City Conference in Washington.