Gainesville Mayor-elect Harvey Ward will join fellow municipal leaders on Friday at the White House.  

The group of 13 will meet with the advisers from the Biden-Harris administration.  

“I’m humbled to be invited to represent our city, and I look forward to forging relationships with cabinet secretaries who can help us make Gainesville an even better place to live,” Ward said in a text to Mainstreet Daily News. “This is a tremendous opportunity to advocate for our neighbors. 

On Dec. 5, the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs invited mayors from around the country for a day of discussion with White House leaders and cabinet secretaries.  

“We looked at the largest cities with newly elected mayors; considered cities where we have strong partnerships and that are doing innovative work that we will look to continue to support; then looked to ensure we had good regional representation,” Evan Wessel, associate director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, said in a statement. “Finally, the list was narrowed by the availability of the individuals.” 

The attending mayors will engage in conversations about legislation of the Biden-Harris administration, including the American Rescue Plan, the bipartisan infrastructure law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and other vital initiatives.