By Sanford Houston
Forward Times
Reprinted – by Texas Metro News
https://www.forwardtimes.com/
The Greater Houston area has a lot to be excited about, as two of its community leaders received two of the most prestigious honors one can bestow on local elected officials at the national level.
Councilmember Jeffrey L. Boney, Missouri City, TX, and Mayor Pro Tem Martha Castex-Tatum, Houston, TX, were both elected to serve on the National League of Cities (NLC) Board of Directors by NLC’s membership at the organization’s recent 2024 City Summit in Tampa, Florida, on behalf of the nearly 20,000 cities, towns, and villages they advocate for.
They both will serve a one-year term.
“The Board of Directors is integral to developing the vision and priorities for the National League of Cities,” said NLC President Sharon Weston Broome, Mayor-President of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “I am thrilled to work shoulder-to-shoulder with these two outstanding local leaders as they share their knowledge and experience working with the residents of our nation’s cities, towns and villages to build stronger communities.”
This was a milestone year, in many ways, as this was the 100-year (Centennial Celebration) for NLC, and their election to the NLC Board of Directors will ensure the Greater Houston area has a seat at the table as a new presidential administration takes the helm in 2025.
It is extremely crucial and significant that these two local elected officials are taking on these roles, at such a time as this, in that they will be working with NLC staff and an incoming new White House administration, who will be introducing public policy recommendations and legislation that will surely impact every city, town, and village across this country.
As members of the NLC Board of Directors, Boney and Castex-Tatum will help provide strategic direction and guidance for NLC’s federal advocacy, governance, and membership activities. They will also relentlessly fight to protect the interests of all American cities, towns and villages by influencing federal public policy, strengthening local leadership, and driving innovative solutions in ways that also direct resources and help their own respective cities.
In addition to this historic accomplishment, Boney and Castex-Tatum were also both elevated and appointed to serve as Chair for two of NLC’s seven major federal advocacy committees by new NLC President Sharon Weston Broome, Mayor-President of Baton Rouge, LA.
Councilmember Boney was appointed as the Chair of the NLC Community and Economic Development (CED) Federal Advocacy Committee for 2025, and Mayor Pro Tem Castex-Tatum was appointed as Chair of the NLC Information Technology and Communications (ITC) Federal Advocacy Committee for 2025. Both were appointed for one-year terms, after both serving as Vice-Chair of those same respective committees for the 2024 calendar year.
“NLC’s federal advocacy committees are vital for uplifting the voices and needs of America’s 19,000 cities, towns and villages to decision-makers in Washington,” said NLC President Sharon Weston Broome, Mayor-President of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “I am excited to work with Councilmember Boney and Mayor Pro Tem Castex-Tatum and look forward to supporting their vision and leadership as they lead their respective federal advocacy committees this year and help grow the partnership between local and federal leaders.”
As Chair of Community and Economic Development Federal Advocacy Committee, Councilmember Boney will work with his peers and NLC staff to help shape NLC’s federal policy positions on issues involving housing, community and economic development, land use, recreation and parks, historic preservation, and international competitiveness.
“This is a huge honor, to serve as Chair for this extremely important NLC federal advocacy committee, and to be elected to the NLC Board of Directors, as we are about to experience a changing of the guard in the White House and in Congress,” said Councilmember Boney. “I am excited to get to work with my peers and NLC staff to advocate before Congress and the White House administration on behalf of the City of Missouri City, and all the cities, towns, and villages across America, who deal with the everyday issues that impact the quality of life of all our residents and stakeholders. We all need the resources and responsible public policy positions that help the City of Missouri City and others succeed in this ever-changing global economy.”
As Chair of the Information Technology and Communications Federal Advocacy Committee, Mayor Pro Tem Castex Tatum will work with NLC staff to provide strategic direction and guidance for NLC’s federal advocacy agenda and policy priorities on issues such as broadband access and affordability, net neutrality, cable TV, phone services, spectrum issues, wireless facilities siting, smart cities, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.
“The Information Technology and Communications Committee is essential in addressing the technological challenges and opportunities facing cities nationwide,” said Mayor Pro Tem Castex-Tatum. “By expanding broadband access, enhancing cybersecurity, and leveraging emerging technologies, we can position Houston as a national leader in innovation and connectivity. As Chair, I am committed to ensuring Houston’s priorities are at the forefront of these discussions, driving policies that create opportunities, strengthen our community, and solidify our city as a model for technological advancement. Houston’s voice matters, and I’m proud to represent our great city as we collaborate with leaders across the country to shape the future of cities, towns and villages.”
As the largest and most representative organization for cities, their elected leaders and municipal staff, NLC advocates for local government priorities in Washington by building strong federal-local partnerships. NLC Board members were selected by a 15-member nominating committee and were confirmed by a vote from NLC’s membership at the organization’s annual business meeting held this past month in Tampa.
While at the NLC City Summit in Tampa, Councilmember Boney was also unanimously elected to the Executive Board of Directors for the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO), as Assistant Treasurer. Prior to being elected to the NBC-LEO Executive Board, Councilmember Boney served as the elected Region 11 Director for NBC-LEO, representing the states of Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, since 2019.
NBC-LEO is the largest community of African American elected officials representing the interests of African American officials in the nation and serves as a forum for communication and networking among African American municipal officials and their colleagues to share ideas and develop leadership experience.
“I’m so blessed to have been elected to the Executive Board of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) by my peers from all across the country to be the Assistant Treasurer of this prestigious organization,” said Councilmember Boney. “I’m also blessed to have been recognized for the work I’ve done as the Region XI Director, overseeing Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma since 2019. As this new White House administration takes over at the turn of the year, it’s important that the voices of African Americans are heard and not silenced. NBC-LEO is an organization that will ensure that NLC’s policies and programs benefit the African American community and serves as a vehicle for its members to discuss problems, explore solutions, debate policy issues, to contribute to the success of American cities and towns.”
Mayor Pro Tem Martha Castex-Tatum won the May 5, 2018, special election, to fill the unexpired term of the late Council Member Larry Green for District K, which stretches across southwest Houston into Fort Bend County, and entered her first full four-year term in January 2020, and was unanimously elected as the City of Houston’s Vice Mayor Pro-Tem by the former mayor and her Council peers. In January 2024, she was appointed Mayor Pro-Tem by Mayor John Whitmire. Breaking barriers, Mayor Pro Tem Castex-Tatum started her public service journey as the first African American female on the San Marcos, TX city council, earning the role of Deputy Mayor Pro Tem. She is also Past President of the Texas Municipal League. She is a Leadership Houston Class XXXVI graduate, a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and a member of the Missouri City Chapter of Links, Inc., and holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas State University.
Councilmember Jeffrey L. Boney currently serves as City Councilmember in Missouri City, TX, and has been elected since 2017. He is the Associate Editor and is a nationally award-winning journalist for the historic Forward Times newspaper. He is the former President and CEO of the Greater Houston Black Chamber, the founder of the Texas Business Alliance, and sits on the Board of Directors for the Houston-Galveston Area Council. Councilmember Boney is a former bank executive with Washington Mutual Bank and is the current President and CEO of JLB Global Consulting, Real Talk Media Group, LLC, and Principal Partner of The Boney Insurance Group. He is an American Leadership Forum (ALF) Class XLIV Senior Fellow, Leadership Houston Class XXVII graduate, a life member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and a member of Ever Ready Lodge No. 506. Councilmember holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Southern University.
For more information on NLC’s federal advocacy committees, please visit: https://www.nlc.org/advocacy/federal-advocacy-committees/. For more information on NLC’s constituency groups, visit: https://www.nlc.org/cg. For more information on NLC’s member councils, visit: https://www.nlc.org/current-initiatives/member-councils-2/.
