FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT Wednesday, April 21, 2010 Ryan O’Doherty (410) 818-4269 ryan.odoherty@baltimorecity.gov

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to Speak at U.S. Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Council Board Meeting in Baltimore Congressman John Sarbanes to provide keynote address to U.S. cities’ workforce development professionals at the Hilton Baltimore

BALTIMORE, MD. (April 21, 2010) – Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will join Congressman John Sarbanes and Karen Sitnick, president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) Workforce Development Council (WDC) and director of the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, in welcoming the WDC to Baltimore for its annual board meeting. Mayor Rawlings-Blake and Congressman Sarbanes will make remarks on the second day of the two-day meeting, during the Welcome and Q&A/Job Creation Strategies in Baltimore session on Friday, April 23 at 8:00 – 9:15 a.m. The Mayor will speak about the importance of municipalities building public/private partnerships and how Baltimore has been successful in creating job opportunities. “Baltimore is leveraging support from the private sector and government resources that will result in more jobs and stronger neighborhoods,” said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. “We will experience job growth as a product of a recently-announced public/private partnership at the Port of Baltimore, which will result in nearly 6,000 new port-related positions.” The Mayor joins the USCM and Congressman Sarbanes in their support of the Local Jobs for America Act (H.R. 4812), legislation that Congress is considering that would provide funds to states, local governments, and community-based organizations to save and create local jobs through the retention, restoration, or expansion of services needed by local communities. If passed, this legislation would create and save a million public and private jobs in local communities this year, help ensure that local communities can still operate essential services, and fund salaries for private sector on-the-job training to help local businesses put people back to work. ### Visit our Website @ www.baltimorecity.gov Congressman Sarbanes will address the members of the WDC – workforce development representatives from more than 25 cities – at the Hilton Baltimore where they are convening in preparation for the USCM Annual Meeting to be held in Oklahoma City in June. The WDC members are learning what other cities are doing to improve the quality and range of workforce development services offered to America’s urban residents and will present its findings and suggestions to Mayors from the entire nation at the June gathering. “America’s Mayors were on the front lines of this recession,” said Congressman John Sarbanes. “They have had to make difficult budgetary decisions that too often resulted in cutting jobs and laying off employees. The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act provided some relief but we must do more to ensure that state and local governments can retain teachers, first responders and other critical personnel by passing the Local Jobs for America Act. We must also invest in workforce development and jobs rebuilding our nation’s physical and energy infrastructure. By doing so, we can put more Americans to work and lay a foundation for longterm prosperity.” Mayor’s Office of Employment Development Director Karen Sitnick was elected president of the United States Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Council at its Winter Meeting in January. Ms. Sitnick will continue the council’s efforts to provide a forum for Mayors and their employment and training administrators to examine all workforce development issues and to strengthen the ability of cities to meet the needs of their citizens; particularly economically disadvantaged individuals, those with serious skill deficiencies, dislocated workers, and others with special barriers to employment, including youth. For more information about the USCM, please visit http://www.usmayors.org.