Palmdale Leaders Share Expertise at League of California Cities Annual Conference

PALMDALE, CA – The City of Palmdale demonstrated its leadership in municipal innovation and community engagement at the 2024 League of California Cities (Cal Cities) Annual Conference and Expo, held October 16-18 at the Long Beach Convention Center.

Mayor Austin Bishop, City Manager Ronda Perez and Deputy City Manager Nardy Lopez were among the distinguished speakers at this gathering of California’s municipal leaders, sharing Palmdale’s successful initiatives and forward-thinking approaches to contemporary urban challenges.

Bishop was selected as the City’s voting delegate to represent Palmdale in the League of California Cities Annual General Assembly. During the General Assembly, voting delegates debate and consider proposals to become official Cal Cities policy. These policies directly guide Cal Cities’ advocacy to promote local decision-making and lobby against statewide policies that erode local control. Moreover, Bishop’s role as a voting delegate allowed him the opportunity to attend informative sessions and keynote speakers highlighting major factors facing local governments.

“Our participation in this conference reflects Palmdale’s continued dedication to spearheading innovation, sharing best practices and learning from other municipalities," said Mayor Austin Bishop. “The insights gained and shared will directly benefit our community as we continue to implement groundbreaking solutions for Palmdale’s future.”

Perez participated in a dynamic session titled “Economic Development and Public Finance: New Best Friends Forever?” that addressed the evolution of consumer preferences and modern development challenges. Her presentation explored creative and effective solutions for reimagining vacant commercial spaces, retail trends in Palmdale, and implementing new financial tools to drive community development. She shared the panel with Jackie Melendez, Assistant City Manager of Chino, and Mrunal Shah, Partner at Best Best & Krieger LLP, moderated by Larry J. Kosmont, Chairman & CEO of Kosmont Companies.

Lopez moderated and spoke at the vital session, “A Collaborative Approach to Combat Fentanyl.”, one of the most critical public health challenges facing communities today. The session highlighted Palmdale's groundbreaking Fight Fentanyl AV campaign and successful community-wide collaboration model. Lopez was joined by experts and service providers including Enrique Carmona from Pueblo y Salud, Inc., Keisha Como of Fight Fentanyl Antelope Valley and Ruth Morales from the Drug Enforcement Administration.

“Having our city staff lead key discussions at this statewide conference epitomizes Palmdale’s innovative spirit and dedication to excellence," said Mayor Pro Tem Richard J. Loa. “As we exchange ideas with other California cities, we strengthen our ability to serve our residents and build a more vibrant and resilient community.”

The conference was a great opportunity for the City’s leadership to acquire valuable resources and tools for advancing municipal governance and community development. With hundreds of city leaders from across California, hundreds of speakers, educational sessions and networking opportunities, Palmdale’s leaders are excited to implement this knowledge in future City developments.