Regional and National Representation

Climate Mayors is a bipartisan, peer-to-peer network that has mobilized more than 750 U.S. mayors who demonstrate climate leadership through meaningful actions in their communities.

The Climate Mayors coalition reflects U.S. cities’ commitment to climate progress and builds political will for federal and global climate action. Scranton is a member city and has committed to emissions reduction and upholding the Paris Agreement through significant climate action and policy.

Launched in 2022, the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger harnesses the individual and collective leadership of mayors to end childhood hunger in communities nationwide. The Alliance is a nonpartisan coalition working in partnership with Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign to ensure that every child has the healthy food they need to thrive.

As a part of this initiative, Mayor Cognetti and the City of Scranton have launched Scranton’s Hunger Task Force, comprised of community leaders across sectors, to address gaps in service deliveries and work to eliminate disparities in our region.

The Mayors Innovation Project (MIP) is a national learning network for mayors committed to shared prosperity, environmental sustainability, and efficient democratic government. MIP supports mayors by providing cutting-edge thinking and concrete examples that mayors can implement. Mayor Cognetti serves on MIP’s Steering Committee and participates in the Women Mayors Network.

In 2023, MIP hosted its Summer Meeting in Scranton and included locally relevant topics such as rental housing quality, fiscal transparency, and EV Fleet Transition.

The Pennsylvania Municipal League (PML) strengthens and empowers effective local government through advocacy, education, and support for our members. It was established in 1900 as an advocate for Pennsylvania’s 3rd class cities, and today its municipal services include legislative advocacy on state and federal levels, publications designed to educate and inform, education and training certification programs, membership research and inquiries, consulting-based programs, and group insurance trusts.

PML annually hosts the Municipal Leadership Summit, designed to bring together elected and appointed officials, the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Commissioners, and the Pennsylvania Career Fire Chiefs Association. The 2024 Municipal Leadership Summit will be held in downtown Scranton.

The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) is the official non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are over 1,400 such cities in the country today. Within USCM, each city is represented by its chief elected official, the mayor.

Mayor Cognetti chairs the Metro Economies Standing Committee, which considers and votes on policy resolutions in response to a broad variety of budget, tax, financial and intergovernmental issues that impact local governments. USCM holds two major meetings each year to discuss the priorities of America’s mayors.