Jackson Free Press

[verbatim]March 29, 2005—Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr. was recently nominated for the title of World Mayor 2005, a project that aims to raise the profile of mayors worldwide, as well as to honor those who have served their communities well and who have made contributions to the well-being of cities nationally and internationally.

"This is quite an honor. Personally, I am humbled by the nomination because it puts me in a category of mayors who are renowned throughout the world," said Johnson. "It's an honor for me, but it's a great honor for the city of Jackson and the residents of our great city. It means that the work we have done together, over the past eight years, has not gone unnoticed in this country and even the world. This nomination places me in pretty tall cotton."

Other mayors or city leaders who were nominated include Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, other U.S. mayors and mayors from Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Austria, France and other countries.

The project is part of City Mayors, one of the leading independent internet platforms dealing with the issues facing cities around the world. It examines how city mayors, and others who govern metropolitan areas, develop innovative solutions to long-standing urban problems such as housing, transport, education and employment, but also how they meet the latest environmental, technological, social and security challenges which affect the well-being of their citizens.
According to information on its website, City Mayors is looking for mayors who have shown that they have the vision, the passion and the skills to make their cities amazing places to live in, to work in and to visit.

Johnson, who was first elected in 1997 as Jackson's first African-American mayor, was recognized not only for his accomplishments while in office, but for his efforts in helping economically depressed small towns with minority leadership obtain basic necessities such as water and sewer service. As the founder and executive director of the Mississippi Institute for Small Towns, a non-profit agency, Mayor Johnson helped a number of towns in Mississippi with housing, community development and infrastructure needs.

Mayor Johnson was also commended for promoting economic development in Jackson.
The most outstanding mayor of 2005 will be presented with the World Mayor award. The winner will be announced in early December.

Edi Rama, Mayor of Tirana, is the current holder of the World Mayor title.

The London-based City Mayors, which was created in 2003 by Urban Publishing Company, has no connection with any city or organization and is run on strictly non-commercial lines.
*
For more information, visit http://www.citymayors.com/worldmayor/nominations05.html or http://www.mayorharveyjohnson.com

Contact: Nikki Burns
601-948-8094
[e-mail missing]

###