Yuma, Arizona - Mayor of Yuma Douglas Nicholls is traveling to Israel to represent Yuma at the Municipal Innovation Conference (MUNI Expo) hosted by the Federation of Local Authorities (FLA) in Tel Aviv, Israel, to take place February 18-20, 2020.
The conference will feature a three-day international program on topics like smart cities-innovation, approaches to urban planning, transportation, and the threats of urban terrorism on smart cities.
Mayors and senior-level officers from cities throughout the world will convene to discuss proven best practices and exchange expertise. Mayor Nicholls will be in attendance to represent Yuma. The FLA covered the mayor's cost for airfare to and from Israel, as well as lodging during the MUNI Expo conference.
The mayor’s aim is to promote the Yuma megaregion at the global market. He added that thanks to the FLA covering the costs of travel, he is able to partake in the opportunity. “This conference is an amazing opportunity to showcase our community, our industries, our people, and all that we have to offer in Yuma at the international market. The Yuma region will once more be at the global forefront."
In addition to the MUNI Expo, the Mayor will attend the OurCrowd Global Investor Summit on Feb. 11-13. This event brings together entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, corporate executives, investors and the tech industry for the largest business conference in Israel.
Following the Summit, he will be one of three speakers at a separate Tel Aviv event on the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement, hosted by the Arizona-Israel Trade and Investment Office in Tel Aviv, which is Arizona’s first trade and investment office in Israel opened by Governor Doug Ducey as a part of the Arizona Commerce Authority.
The mayor will be meeting with mayors and political leaders when possible to talk about Yuma and potential opportunities for collaboration. The Arizona-Israel Trade and Investment Office and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce are assisting the mayor in coordinating meetings as an opportunity to bridge communication and knowledge between Arizona communities and the nation of Israel.
"Economic development, job growth and an excellent quality of life for Yumans are mainstays as far as what I hope to strive for as mayor, and I hope to make the most of my time on this trip to further promote the Yuma megaregion.”
Mayor Nicholls will not be present for the Tuesday, Feb. 17 and Wednesday, Feb. 18 regular City Council worksession and City Council meeting. Deputy Mayor Karen Watts will be leading the meetings in his place. He will be back in Yuma for the City Council retreat, to be hosted on Tuesday, Feb. 25.