Our Mayor Nancy Chaney—at the White House!

Nancy Chaney, mayor of my wonderful little town of Moscow, Idaho, was invited to attend the National League of Cities (NLC) Let’s Move! Cities, Towns, and Counties (LMCTC) meeting, and to be THE speaker to introduce First Lady Michelle Obama yesterday at the White House.

That’s right. THE White House. And THE mayor of Moscow, Idaho.

nancy_chenay5

The celebration highlighted elected officials and their roles as participants in the Let’s Move! initiative across the United States. Thirty-nine officials—from mayors, to county commissioners, to councilmen and women—were invited to attend the event.

Mayor Chaney says of the event, “It is my great honor and pleasure to introduce our Nation’s First Lady, the incomparable Michelle Obama. I am awed by her intellect, her grace under pressure, and by her willingness to tackle a goal so daunting as solving childhood obesity in a generation.”

Nancy moved to Moscow in 1980, and has served as Mayor since 2005 after two years on the City Council. She has worked as a nurse, archaeologist, editorial and administrative assistant, and small business owner.

Mayor Chaney was also appointed in 2012 as one of 15 members of the National League of Cities (NLC) Nominating Committee that was responsible for recommending a slate of officers and board members to lead NLC in 2013. The NLC provides technical assistance for the the Let’s Move! initiative with an overall agenda to help city leaders build better communities.

What’s the Let’s Move! campaign?

Let’s Move! is a comprehensive initiative, launched by First Lady Michelle Obama, dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams. A total of 330 cities, towns, and counties from 46 states and the District of Columbia, which collectively represent more than 56 million Americans, have committed to the initiative’s five goals.

Here is Mayor Chaney as she was introduced at the podium.

nancy_chenay4

She had a fabulous speech. And, she’s done some great work with the Let’s Move! program, earning our city 3 out of 5 medals. NLC has awarded more than 1,000 bronze, silver, and gold “medals” to recognize local elected officials who have completed each goal. Does Moscow love its mayor? It certainly does. And she made us proud today!

Moscow’s awards:

Goal I. A bronze medal was achieved for establishing an interagency collaboration on early care and education programs.

Goal III. A bronze metal was achieved for at least 60% of public schools participating in the SBP.

Goal V. A gold metal was achieved for mapping all playspaces, completing a needs assessment of playspaces, developing an action plan, and launching at lease three proven policies, programs, or initiatives from the action plan to continue to increase access to physical activity.

nancy_chenay2

nancy_chenay3

And here it is! The moment we all waited for. Introducing and hugging Michelle Obama. Congratulations, Nancy—what a huge honor!

Except for the guy’s head that got in the way of the camera, all-in-all, a great success!

nancy_chenay1

For more information about the LMCTC initiative, its accomplishments, and how local elected officials can sign up, visit: www.HealthyCommunitiesHealthyFuture.org.

  1. Laurie Dimino says:

    Congratulations to Moscow, ID for being the home of such a wonderful woman!

  2. Deborah Granay says:

    Congrats Mayor Chaney!

    It is good to see a public servant that is working hard to fill the needs of their community! The best politicians seem to be the local ones! You are a fine example of that. Stay local and serve your constituents. They appreciate your efforts.

  3. Winnie Nielsen says:

    Let’s here it for the Mayor of Moscow, Idaho! What an honor to introduce The First Lady too! About a decade ago, when my husband was a City commissioner, I attended one of the League of Cities National meetings in Salt Lake City. It was so amazing! There were incredible speakers, break out sessions, and topics on so many important issues. The highlight for me was when Steven Covey spoke and afterwards I was able to speak with him in person and get an autograph! After reading his books and being a part of the corporate culture push at work to adopt his concepts, I felt like I had been to Oz and seen the Wizard! For the rest of my working years, I kept the personal note her wrote to me at my desk where I could see it everyday. I think hearing and meeting Michelle Obama would be just as awesome. I love how she started the White House Garden and a focus on healthy eating and gardening in general. No doubt, Moscow is beaming with pride these days!!

  4. Jim Dunne says:

    Nancy Chaney is one of the brightest and most capable public officials in the state of Idaho. Her many years of service in Public Health combined with her years as an elected public official– City Council Member and Mayor of Moscow— are clear evidence that she is a valuable resource for her city and for Idaho. She is highly intelligent, an attentive listener, possesses a quick wit and a fine sense of humor, and is a gifted and innovative problem solver. She is one of those rare public officials who is in the right place at the right time with the right set of skills to benefit the residents of Moscow and all the people her state.
    That she was chosen to introduce the First Lady of the United States is a personal tribute to Nancy, a validation of the judgment of Moscow voters and an indication that Nancy’s many intellectual and political gifts are being recognized at the national level.
    Jim Dunne

  5. Terry Steinmetz says:

    W-O-W!!! That is so-o- great. And a big hats-off to Moscow, ID for a great achievement!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *