by John Reid

Derrick Wood, Mayor of the Town of Dumfries, VA, has been elected as the 2024 first vice president of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO), a constituency group of the National League of Cities (NLC). NBC-LEO serves as a forum for communication and networking among African-American municipal officials and their colleagues to share ideas and develop leadership experience. Mayor Wood was elected in November at NLC’s 2023 City Summit conference in Atlanta, GA.

“NBC-LEO plays a crucial role in connecting leaders and also in empowering us to work collaboratively to bring effective change and innovation to our respective communities,” – Mayor Derrick R. Wood released in a statement.

Established in 1970, NBC-LEO provides a platform for municipal leaders to connect, share best practices, and advocate for the needs of their communities. The group also contributes to NLC’s leadership development, policy formulation, advocacy, and program activities.

“Constituency groups play a vital role in shaping and influencing NLC’s programming by uplifting the voices and priorities of all of our communities,” said NLC President Mayor-Elect David Sander of Rancho Cordova, CA. “I am excited to work with Mayor Wood and look forward to supporting his vision this year as a leader of this very important group.”

This year’s groups will be led by President Denise Mitchell, Mayor Pro Tem of College Park, MD, and Nathaniel Booker, Mayor of Maywood, IL, serving as Second Vice President.

For more information on NLC’s constituency group, visit https://www.nlc.org/cg.