RIDGE-LANE Limited Partners establishes a Council of Mayors, including Michael Nutter, Manny Diaz, Stephen Goldsmith, Annise Parker, Jerry Abramson, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Douglas Palmer, Richard "RJ" Berry, Michael B. Coleman

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Governor of Pennsylvania and first Secretary of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Thomas J. Ridge, and financier R. Brad Lane announce the establishment of a Council of Mayors:   

• Michael A. Nutter – Chairman, Council of Mayors: was elected the 98^th Mayor of Philadelphia, PA after serving 15 years on the Philadelphia City Council. He strengthened federal-city relationships, promoted the development of effective national urban policy and launched a plan to become the greenest city in America through an initiative called "Greenworks" outlining 15 measurable targets and 166 programs in five topic areas: energy, environment, equity, economy, and engagement. Mayor Nutter is a Professor at Columbia University, a Senior Fellow at Bloomberg Philanthropies, an Advisory Board Member of Urban Labs at University of Chicago, and a Senior Fellow at Brookings Institution, and former President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
          
• Manny Diaz: served two terms as the 31^st Mayor of Miami, FL where he developed a vision for Miami as an international city that embodies diversity, economic opportunity, effective customer service and a highly-rated quality of life. He received national recognition for many innovative programs in the areas of urban design, sustainability and green initiatives, education, infrastructure investment, affordable housing, law enforcement, poverty and homelessness, and arts and culture. He served as a Resident Fellow at Harvard's Institute of Politics, former President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, on the boards of the Bloomberg Family Foundation, the University of Pennsylvania Institute for Urban Research, and was awarded "Urban Innovator of the Year" by the Manhattan Institute.
          
• Stephen Goldsmith: served as the 46^th Mayor of Indianapolis, IN and Deputy Mayor of New York City, NY under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, where he earned a reputation as one of the country's leaders in public-private partnerships, competition, and privatization. Mayor Goldsmith served as the Chief Domestic Policy Advisor to the George W. Bush, Chair of the Board of Directors for the Corporation for National and Community Service, and Chairman of The Manhattan Institute's Center for Civic Innovation. He is the Daniel Paul Professor of the Practice of Government and the Director of the Innovations in American Government Program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. 
           
• Jerry Abramson: served as the 47^th Mayor of Louisville, KY as well as the 1^st Mayor of Louisville Metro – the combined County of Louisville and Jefferson County – where his tenure was marked by historic growth and economic progress. He was the 55^th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky. He was appointed Director of Intergovernmental Affairs in the Obama Administration, where he served as the primary liaison between the White House and state, county, local, and tribal governments. Mayor Abramson is the Executive in Residence at Spalding University, and was a former President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
           
• Stephanie Rawlings-Blake: served as the 49^th Mayor of Baltimore, MD where she focused on strong fiscal stewardship, regulatory reform, smart development, sustainability, and enriching programs to attract and retain entrepreneurs and businesses. Prior to, Rawlings-Blake became the youngest person ever elected to the Baltimore City Council, where she served as Vice President and eventually President of the Council. She was elected Secretary of the Democratic National Committee, served as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and is a Senior Advisor at Dentons LP as a member of the Local Government Solutions team.
             
• Annise Parker: served two terms as the 61^st Mayor of Houston, TX where she created exponential job growth, multiple balanced budgets, a pay-as-you-go street and drainage improvement program, adoption of a long-term financial plan, and the Office of Business Opportunity to help minority and women-owned small business enterprises compete for city contracts. She served as a member of the Houston City Council, and as the 14^th City Controller of Houston. She is a Professor at the Doerr Institute of Rice University. 
         
• Michael B. Coleman: served as the 52^nd Mayor of Columbus, OH for 15 years. He built Columbus' reputation as one of the best cities in the nation by building stronger, safer neighborhoods, creating jobs and maintaining a high quality of life. Mayor Coleman led all economic development, business expansion, relocation and job development initiatives, including zoning, planning and policymaking for the City. He leveraged private sector partnerships, real estate development, new economic policies and secured $7 billion in private investment to support his innovative urban development strategy.
             
• Richard "RJ" Berry: served as the 29^th Mayor of Albuquerque, NM after being elected twice to the New Mexico House of Representatives, where he served on the Appropriations and Finance Committee, the Rural and Economic Development Committee, and the Transportation and Public Works Committee. Under his leadership, Albuquerque was named as the 2^nd most technologically advanced city in America. He is a Senior Fellow at the Yale Executive Leadership Institute, and an advisor for What Works Cities, Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, and Cities of Service.
            
• Douglas H. Palmer: served as Mayor of Trenton, NJ where he was elected and re-elected for five terms, spanning 20 years. Mayor Palmer enhanced the city through economic development, community involvement, business, government and non-profit partnerships. He served as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and President of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors. He currently advises private companies seeking to create or enhance their presence in communities and engagement with local governments across the country.

"The collective knowledge and networks of these distinguished leaders is invaluable," said R. Brad Lane, CEO of RIDGE-LANE LP, "especially at this point in time, where innovations in technology along with evolutions in our society and advancements in our economy, create the emergent fourth industrial revolution.  We have the unique opportunity to lead the private sector focused on creating social impact in cities and communities across the country."

RIDGE-LANE Limited Partners is a venture development firm – focused on root-cause solutions to grand challenges in Education, Sustainability, and Information Technology – with a team of General Partners, Venture Partners, and Senior Advisors who have served at the highest levels of finance, government, and the military. 

We create value for our clients and society by bridging the gaps between private-sector innovation, investment capital, policy and procurement – across the Federal, State, and Local levels: an innovation ecosystem, providing corporate development to commercialize and scale novel technology companies, as well as place-based solutions that improve cities and quality of life.

Innovators tackling grand societal challenges:  [email protected]

For more information visit:  www.RIDGE-LANE.com

SOURCE RIDGE-LANE Limited Partners

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