The Greensboro Planning Department is bringing Henry Cisneros to Greensboro to speak Tuesday, Oct. 29 and Wednesday, Oct. 30.
Cisneros was appointed secretary of the US Housing and Urban Development Department by President Bill Clinton and served from 1993 to 1997.
The title of his speech is “The Equitable City: Prosperity, Opportunity, Leadership,” and he will speak from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Greensboro History Museum, 130 Summit Ave. This speech is free and open to the public.
Cisneros will also speak at the Cadillac Service Garage at 304 E. Market St from 11:30 to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30. The cost to attend this talk is $20 and Online registration by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23 is required. Lunch will be provided.
The cost to the city for Cisneros is about $10,000. Russ Clegg, long range planning manager with the Greensboro planning department, said that the city was always looking for partners and grants to help with the cost of speakers, but “the bulk of the cost” will be paid by the city. These talks are part of the PLANIT GSO process which is what the rewrite of the city’s comprehensive plan, Connections 2025 and the Generalized Future Land Use Map (GFLUM), is being called.
Cisneros is scheduled to talk about how communities like Greensboro can expand opportunities for more of their residents and boost economic expansion.
Before being named HUD Secretary, Cisneros was mayor of San Antonio, Texas, and was the first Latino to be elected mayor of a major US city in the 20th century. Cisneros was one of the lowest paid mayors in the country, receiving a $4,500 a year stipend.
After resigning as secretary of HUD, Cisneros served as president of Univision Communications, the nation’s largest Spanish-language broadcaster that was at the time the fifth most watched television network in the country.
He also established a firm to develop affordable housing in San Antonio and other American cities, as well as several financial investment firms.
