Doug Palmer’s contribution to The U.S. Conference of Mayors and to American cities will stand as a political landmark in our history. Without him, there would be no 10-Point Plan. Some may say that any Conference President in an election year would have asked the staff to put together a list of our priorities. Probably so, but the question is what does a leader do to breathe life into ideas and specifics he or she believes to be the top priorities of American cities.
All of us involved in creating and developing the 10-Point Plan know that Doug Palmer has been brilliant in the way he has advanced our cause to today’s political and business world. He has taken our message to Capitol Hill, to Presidential candidates, through Presidential primaries, to our corporate and business community, to the religious community, to advocacy groups, to non-profits, to suburban and rural America and into the “hood.” His political style is multifaceted, exciting, serious, funny, disarming and, yes, sincere. His presentations and performances bring a brand of leadership that combines politics and show business. He can begin with laughter and throw it into fifth gear and make you cry. Then he can switch gears and make you listen and then switch gears and make you want to follow him through hell to support the 10-Point Plan.
There’s in no way you can teach his kind of leadership and style. No one taught Ella Fitzgerald how to sing, or Frank how to croon, or Elvis how to move, or Astaire how to dance. They were born with it. It is innate. Those people in the baseball world are called naturals. Doug Palmer is a natural leader.
Deaths of other mayors have touched his soul, his being. As a young councilman, he sat in a church listening to Mayor Joe Riley eulogizing magnificently when we all went to Trenton in 1989, burying Mayor Art Holland, our President, and said to himself “Maybe I could be mayor.” He ran four times and has served five terms.
And then another death of our beloved Dearborn Mayor and Conference President Mike Guido on December 5, 2006 brought the mantle of leadership to him. It was a day I will never forget. Recognizing the depth of President Guido’s illness, I was bringing the senior executive staff to Trenton, and Mayor Guido died as we traveled and in that instant, according to our constitution, Doug became our President.
And, in that instant, Doug changed. I saw it with my eyes. He stood up in the Trenton City Hall the next day his manner, speech, movement struck me to think there had been another person inside absolutely ready to emerge and transform before our eyes.
And from that day forward, he has led us to where we are today in June of 2008 looking straight ahead at a new American era of change that is upon us. Our organization poised and ready to be at the table and be a part of creating the new America that American voters are screaming for in 2008 and will be demanding in 2009.
Senator McCain or Senator Obama will have to listen to us. The cities of America are where it is happening. They want change? They can’t take the change that we are offering and been offering and advocating since we were formed in 1932.
So at this moment, Doug Palmer passes the Presidential baton to Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and the Dearborn Accord of the Guido/Palmer/Diaz continuity will live. Doug Palmer has got us this far and he will be there with Manny Diaz, the next great President, to help us cross the river and get to the mountaintop.
Mayor Diaz, as our 66th President, starts the next phase of our campaign on Wednesday afternoon when mayors come together for their recommendations under the key priorities of our 10-Point Plan. Mayors Palmer, Nickels and others in the leadership will be there with Mayor Diaz as we begin the political journey to the coming together of the nations mayors with the next President of the United States.
This summer we will work in small groups. This Fall, our new President Diaz will bring us together on October 2 at The Breakers in Palm Beach for our Fall Leadership meeting. Before the mayors at that meeting will be a more succinct and clear agenda will be presented. So the steps to the mountaintop will begin here in Miami at The Intercontinental Hotel on Monday afternoon.
We will leave Miami more determined than ever. Mayor Diaz will take us across the river and to the mountaintop. And he will need your help to get us there. Together our member mayors, large and small, make our organization stronger than ever before. It’s an exciting time to be a mayor and I, along with my devoted and excellent staff, are honored to serve you as President-Elect Diaz puts our mayors up front and center. It’s long overdue. The time is ours.
Welcome to Miami! Thank you, Doug Palmer. Agile and Mobile Forever. And congratulations Mayor Diaz. You are a great leader. Your vibrant City of Miami, flat on its face, when you took over stands tall, strong and “hot” because of you – and your leadership. We look forward to the year ahead and pledge our enthusiastic and dedicated support to give you what we need for you to help get it done in this dynamic election year for all our mayors and all our cities. We can do it. Let’s go!
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