WASHINGTON, DC - Mayor Anthony A. Williams and the Mayor's Office of Partnerships and Grants Development hosted the third annual Public-Private Partnership Conference on Tuesday, July 24, 2001, at the George Washington University Marvin Center. The conference, held in partnership with the Support Center of Washington, is a component of the Mayor's strategic priority to promote the development of common goals through collaborations among multi-sector partners.

"With the help of our conference partners, we are assisting participants to learn more effective ways to partner and leverage resources to improve the quality of life for families all around the DC area," said Williams.

Sponsored by the Citigroup Foundation and hosted by George Washington University, the partnership conference offered a number of training sessions, as well as networking opportunities for both corporate and nonprofit groups. Workshop topics included the use of technology to support partnerships, venture philanthropy, and ethical and legal issues of public-private partnerships. The Rev. Mark Scott with the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives conducted a workshop on the President's priorities. Metro DC Nonprofit Capacity Builders provided planning assistance for the conference.

"This conference enables us, as nonprofit organizations, to develop alliances with the private sector," said Oliver Tessier, executive director of the Support Center of Washington. "This relationship-building allows us to create and enhance strategic programs and continue to deliver the high quality services our communities need."

"We recognize and have experienced first-hand through our own initiatives that public-private partnerships are a key to the success of community revitalization projects," said Pamela P. Flaherty, senior vice president of global communication relations at Citigroup. "We are pleased to support this year's conference and are confident those attending will gain valuable new insights into how they can make even greater impacts in their communities in partnership with others.