Charlottesville City Councilor to lead Council on Youth, Education, and Families

Charlottesville City Councilor Kristin Szakos has been appointed co-chair of the National League of Cities (NLC) Council on Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Council) for 2015. The Council guides and oversees the work of the NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF). The appointment was made in December by NLC President Ralph Becker, mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Pittsburgh Mayor Willam Peduto will co-chair the YEF Council with Ms. Szakos.

“The YEF Council provides an important voice for the nation’s cities and towns, generating recommendations for municipal leaders on strategies to improve outcomes for children, youth and families while guiding the work of NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families,” said Clarence Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities. The membership of the YEF Council, unlike other NLC committees or councils, is composed of not only local elected officials but also youth members and representatives from national organizations working to improve the welfare of children and families.

“Issues of how to best support the needs of children and families in our communities concern all city officials, and the Institute provides us with the research, information and support we need to implement effective policies,” Szakos said. “I’m excited to be serving as co-chair with Mayor Peduto, whose commitment to children and families is reflected in his work in Pittsburgh and in the NLC.”

NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families launched in 2000 under the leadership of the late Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino.

It serves as a national resource, providing guidance and assistance to municipal officials, compiling and disseminating information on promising strategies and best practices, building networks of local officials working on similar issues and concerns, and conducting research on the key challenges facing municipalities in these core program areas. It collaborates with a broad range of national partners and works with the nation’s 49 state municipal leagues to reach local officials in 19,000 cities and towns across America.

As co-chair of the YEF Council, Ms. Szakos will play a key role in informing NLC’s policy positions and advocating on behalf of America’s cities and towns before Congress, with the Obama Administration and at home. Issues covered by the council include early childhood development and education, health and wellness, afterschool programming, youth violence prevention and family economic success.

For more information on NLC’s other committees and councils click here.

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