Rice to Speak at National Black Caucus Meeting

Senator Ronald L. Rice, Chairman of the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus, will be the keynote speaker at the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) luncheon and awards ceremony Thursday at the Congress of Cities in Seattle.

“I am honored to have been invited to be the keynote speaker at the NBC-LEO Luncheon in Seattle,” said Rice (D-Essex). “As a former Board member of NBC-LEO and chairman of the National League of Cities’ subcommittee on energy during my tenure as a Newark City Council member, this is like a homecoming to me.”

The event will be hosted by NBC-LEO President and East Orange Councilwoman Jacquelyn E. Johnson.

The National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials is a National League of Cities constituency group founded in 1970. Its mission is to represent the interest of African-American elected officials. NBC-LEO’s objectives include increasing African-American participation on the National League of Cities’ steering and policy committees to ensure that policy and program recommendations reflect African-American concerns and benefits their communities, according to its website.

The organization also works independently with its members to inform them on issues affecting the African-American community and helps to devise ways to achieve their community objectives through legislation and direct action.

“This is a unique event that brings together local elected officials from across the country to discuss the issues that are of importance to their communities,” said Senator Rice. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of it this year, and I look forward to hearing from local leaders.”