Communities today face a range of complex, interconnected challenges, including homelessness, mental health crises, and community violence. These issues often exceed the capacity of any one organization or government entity to fully address. Despite this, municipal leaders are frequently tasked with leading efforts to respond to them. While city organizations may not have direct control over these challenges, they play a pivotal role in bringing together stakeholders, aligning resources, and fostering collaboration to develop effective, strategic solutions.

This session will focus on how city leaders can leverage their positions to build and sustain collaborative partnerships that address systemic issues. It will explore why clear, strategic alignment across community initiatives is critical for successfully addressing complex challenges and how to balance expectations of residents and elected officials while coordinating with community organizations.

• Sarah Ott