Mayor Whaley Reflects on First 100 Days in Office

During her first State of the City address, Mayor Nan Whaley outlined her vision for the future of Dayton as a vibrant, business friendly and educated community where residents can live, work, play and raise a family.

“Today marks my 100th day in office, and I am using this time to reflect and update the citizens of Dayton on the progress we have made” said Mayor Whaley. “Since January 6, I have hit the ground running. As Mayor, I have had to opportunity to meet with the business leaders of this community, as well as the citizens in their neighborhoods. We have discussed everything from the building permit process to snow removal. I truly appreciate their generous time and comments as we further define the priorities and activities of my administration.”

With two priority areas of helping businesses thrive as job creators and increasing the quality of education in the city, the Mayor has worked with the community in the following ways during her first 100 days in office.

 

Business

• Completed six Mayor’s Business Roundtable meetings with 38 business owners, representing diverse industry groups including small businesses, real estate and development, manufacturing, and corporate services.
•  Held personal meetings with 10 of the top 25 CEOs in the region.
•  Gave presentations to a variety of committees and oversight boards to discuss the Mayor’s vision for the city and gather input for continued improvements.
• Submitted an application for the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership designation from the U.S. Economic Development Administration with Mayor John Cranley of Cincinnati, the Dayton Development Coalition and REDI Cincinnati to strengthen the aerospace industry in the region and promote and support the robust supply chain that feeds that industry.
• Continued advocacy for the greater downtown through the announcement of Bike Share, the anchor tenant commitment for the Water Street development, the expansion of CareSource, and collaborative meetings with the arts community.
•  Continued work with the Dayton Regional Manufacturing Task Force including efforts to expand national partnerships.
•  Personally met with the President, Vice President, Governor, and other federal, state and local officials to discuss the City’s priorities for the coming four years.

Education

• Kicked off the City of Learners Committee with over 60 community leaders. Completed four community listening sessions which have engaged citizens in discussing ways of increasing the quality of education in the city. Eleven community-based education programs have presented at Dayton City Commission meetings during the Education Moment. Eight more listening sessions and weekly Education Moments are planned for the future.
•  Positioned Dayton to be selected as a community partner with the National League of Cities and the U.S. Department of Education to discuss strategies to advance learning, enhance student engagement and improve schools.

 

“I am thrilled with the support I have received from the business community and citizens alike as we have begun to move Dayton forward,” said Mayor Whaley. “As I look to the next few months, when we will be continuing our community outreach through the new citizen engagement strategy and our neighborhood front porch meetings, it has reminded me that although the work may be hard, Dayton has a resilient spirit that helps us overcome great obstacles, and we will again make Dayton a strong and prosperous city.”