Evanston politics may get a bigger voice on the national stage as Ald. Robin Rue Simmons (5th) will serve on a federal advocacy committee in 2018 that centers on community and economic development, the city announced in a news release Friday.

The committee, a part of the National League of Cities, is responsible for developing the NLC’s federal policy positions on issues including housing, land use and development. NLC president Mark Stodola, the mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas, announced Rue Simmons’ appointment.

Rue Simmons said in the release that she was honored to be chosen to be a committee member.

“I look forward to representing Evanston as we work to develop smart policy solutions to address our cities’ most urgent issues,” Rue Simmons said.

Ten state municipal leagues founded the NLC in 1924 as a national organization intended to strengthen local government. In 2017, three Illinoisans — including the mayors of Park Forest and Sesser — represented the state on the committee.

Stodola said in the release that one of the most effective ways for a local official to advocate for their community was to join a NLC committee.

“I am thrilled to have Robin Rue Simmons join a team of local leaders from around the country working to craft our policy platform and to solve the most pressing challenges facing our communities,” Stodola said.

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