The Kentucky League of Cities welcomed new leadership on Tuesday night, including Auburn Mayor Mike Hughes. KLC membership elected Mayor Hughes to serve as the organization’s second vice president for the following year. In addition, Southgate Mayor Jim Hamberg will serve as first vice president, and Versailles Mayor Brian Traugott will serve as the League’s president.
As KLC second vice president, Hughes will help lead the organization and shape its legislative advocacy for the 2022 session. He spoke on the impact KLC has had in his career in city government. “When I first became a council member, I went to a KLC training,” he said. “From that point forward, they embraced me. They didn't have to; they just did. Everyone at KLC has been instrumental in helping me and my city succeed and move forward.”
Mayor Hughes expressed appreciation for the appointment. “To be able to serve in any capacity in an organization that does so much for Kentucky cities is an honor and a privilege.”
Voters first elected Mayor Hughes to the city council, a position he held for six years before becoming mayor in 2013. He joined the KLC Board of Directors in 2015, and he became a member of the KLC Executive Board in 2017.
KLC Executive Director/CEO J.D. Chaney thanked Hughes for his dedication to local government and his commitment to the League’s mission. “Mayor Hughes has been a strong voice on the Executive Board, and I know he will serve the League and our members well in his new role as second vice president,” Chaney stated. “He has been a great friend and ally, and I look forward to working with him more in the coming years as we advocate on behalf of cities and the vital role that they play in growing the state’s economy.”
The Kentucky League of Cities is a nonprofit member organization that has served Kentucky cities and municipal organizations since 1927. The League provides cities various services, including legislative advocacy, legal guidance, training, economic development, financing, and research. An 18-member Executive Board and a 63-member Board of Directors govern the organization and its legislative efforts.