Mayors, governors, and local leaders are increasingly driving international engagement— from Atlanta’s engagement with African nations to Houston’s global energy strategy, and from Maryland's trade missions to Japan and South Korea to Oklahoma's global aluminum investment partnerships.
Local leaders build relationships with business and diplomatic partners worldwide to bring benefits back home across trade, innovation, sports, culture, and more.
The question for local leaders isn't whether to engage globally, but how to make it strategic, purposeful, and outcome-oriented.
Economic competition is local. Companies choose specific cities and regions, not just countries. Supply chain disruptions directly affect local communities. Mayor- and governor-led trade missions strengthen export bases and attract foreign investment. International partnerships deliver real results bringing innovation, factories, and jobs at home.
Global risks and security threats hit local communities first. Foreign malign influence and interference specifically target local officials, seek to divide communities, and weaken local trust from within. Cyberattacks target city water systems and election databases. Extreme weather events require coordinated responses locally. Local leaders need to understand these global risks and build partnerships that help them respond effectively.
Global cooperation and solutions to global problems require local leadership. The best solutions often come from other communities facing similar challenges in fields such as sustainable development, mobility, and urban planning. Through global networks, local governments solve challenges better, faster, and cheaper than going it alone. Locally-driven relationships based on culture, shared values, and people-to-people exchanges buttress global cooperation.
Through fellowships, training, convenings, and network-building, Meridian equips U.S. and non-U.S. state and local leaders with the knowledge, resources, and relationships to
1. forge strategic and purposeful global partnerships.
2. Strengthen economic growth and resilience.
3. Leverage culture, sports, and business connections.
4. Drive innovation in technology, public safety, and democracy.
By bridging local leadership with global engagement, we mobilize coalitions of state and local leaders, diplomats, businesses, academic institutions, and civic actors to make communities stronger, safer, more prosperous, and more connected.
