By Liz Moomey
liz.moomey@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Mayor Al Higgins was invited to attend the Women Mayors of America White House Conference on Thursday.

She announced at Monday’s city council meeting that she would be attending the conference.

“I’m looking forward to that conference,” Heggins said. “It was quite a surprise. It was very humbling to be invited, so I will represent our city well.”

Heggins will tour the White House in the morning and attend sessions in the afternoon.

The afternoon intermarry includes:

• Opening remarks from second lady Karen Pence, U.S. Department of Education secretary Betsy DeVos and U.S. Small Business Administration administrator Linda McMahon
• A workforce and economic development panel with Margaret Weichert, the deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, Ja’Ron Smith, the special assistant to the president for legislative affairs, and Beth Van Duyne, the regional administrator for Housing and Urban Development and former mayor of Irving, Texas
• A shared priorities panel with assistant to the president and senior counselor Kellyanne Conway, assistant to the president and director of legislative affairs Shahira Knight, assistant to the president and senior advisor for strategic communications Mercedes Schlapp
• Closing remarks from William Crozer, the special assistant to the president and deputy director of intergovernmental affairs.

The invitation is from the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, which focuses on building relationships with state and local officials.