The National League of Cities hosted their annual City Summit conference in Salt Lake City on November 20-22, 2025. Each year, City Summit brings together city leaders, policymakers, and innovators from across the nation to explore pressing urban issues, share best practices, and collaborate on solutions that enhance community well-being. Over 3,000 leaders came to Salt Lake City for the premier event that fosters collaboration and inspires new ideas.
South Salt Lake made a splash at the conference with Mayor Wood and two city staff presenting to attendees on the impact our Promise South Salt Lake 'Cradle to Career' programs and framework can have on the youth and families in a community.
- South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood joined former Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini and Tempe, AZ Mayor Corey Woods for a panel discussion showcasing how partnerships between city hall, school districts, community- and faith-based organizations, and business leaders can create local solutions that improve outcomes for children, youth, and families in their cities.
- Edward Lopez, Promise South Salt Lake Deputy Director, presented to members of the National League of Cities Human Development Committee about how South Salt Lake has built a thriving community learning and co-working space that bridges workforce development, lifelong learning, and other community services. The Promise South Salt Lake Co-Op demonstrates how cities can turn facilities into dynamic opportunity hubs that strengthen local connections and expand access to education, employment, and collaboration.
- Bonnie Owens, Promise South Salt Lake Deputy Director, presented to participants about how high-quality afterschool and summer learning programs have shown to address multiple municipal priorities such as public safety, workforce development, and high-performing schools.
Promise staff also hosted city leaders and staff from Fayetteville, North Carolina, including their City Manager and City Council Members, who came on a site visit to see the programs in action. They were excited to learn about how we work to remove barriers for community members and how we collaborate with other city departments to improve programs and services. They were especially interested in how we collaborate with our Police Department to serve our community. It was a true showcase of how cross-sector collaborations and diverse funding streams allow us to provide free programs and services that offer crucial support for working families. Collaborative work that is changing lives!
A humble thanks to all the dedicated and compassionate Promise city staff who work each day to change lives and provide opportunities for South Salt Lake youth, and to the many community partners who help make this work possible, especially our backbone partners Promise Partnership Utah and the Granite School District.
