Mayor R. T. Rybak is heading to Orlando for the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, where public officials from around the country will gather to hear speakers that include the mayors of Los Angeles and Philadelphia, Vice President Joe Biden, and cabinet members of the Obama administration.
The mayor will be a panelist at a forum Thursday on how to create more jobs by growing exports.
As vice chair of the organization's Metro Exports and Ports task force, Rybak will speak alongside Francisco Sanchez, undersecretary of commerce for international trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Akron, Ohio Mayor Donald Plusquellic. The forum will address how cities can work with local businesses to sell more goods overseas, which Rybak has been promoting in the Twin Cities.
In February, Rybak attended a three-day forum on ports and exports hosted by the Conference of Mayors in Jacksonville, Fla.
This week's meeting agenda also includes discussions on preventing crime, investing in water infrastructure, and using technology to provide better services.
Tonight, there will be a reception in Orlando for the National Conference of Democratic Mayors, of which Rybak is president.
The mayor will stay at the conference through Friday, according to spokesman John Stiles.
