Alderman Joe Davis
Alderman Joe Davis, Sr., chair of the National League of Cities (NLC) International Council, will promote Milwaukee as an international destination for doing business when he hosts a council forum on March 15 during the NLC’s annual Congressional Cities Conference in Washington, D.C. (March 13 – 15).
The forum, part of the organization’s ongoing focus on globally competitive cities, will also feature Mr. Tommy Berry, a past president of the National Association of Foreign Trade Zones and presently CEO of Point Trade Services, Panama City, Florida.
The International Council provides advice and direction to NLC’s international programs. The Council encourages and supports educating municipal leaders about the impacts and opportunities of globalization, and also connects the knowledge and experiences of cities outside the U.S. with the hometown priorities of American cities and towns.
Alderman Davis, a former member of the NLC’s Board of Directors and Finance Committee, is committed to representing Milwaukee ’s interest in the conversation. “I’m honored to bring Milwaukee ’s successes to this national forum,” he said. “We have so many representatives in the city working on trade that we can take the lead on these issues.”
Eric Reinelt, director of the Port of Milwaukee commented on the importance of representation in the discussion. “Participating in world markets is becoming more and more a vital key to local business development and job creation,” he said.
“The Port of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee business community give their full support to the work of the Council and Alderman Davis, whose commitment to identifying and promoting tools such as the Foreign Trade Zone gives our local companies that competitive edge necessary to succeed in world markets,” Reinelt said.
Pat Walsh of the Milwaukee Economic Development Corp. also praised the city’s involvement. “Alderman Joe Davis pushed for a review of Milwaukee’s Foreign Trade Zone, and with help from Tommy Berry, Milwaukee is now positioned to really capitalize on this important economic development tool,” he said.