By Gary Nelson | The Arizona Republic
Scott Smith wasn’t trying to brag when he said one of his first phone calls on a recent Tuesday morning came from the White House.
That’s just what happens when you’re president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Smith’s phone — never silent for long — has been a lot busier since he assumed that post on June 24, becoming the first Arizona mayor to lead the nonpartisan coalition of U.S. urban leaders.
His inauguration in Las Vegas capped a rise through the ranks of the national organization, which wasn’t on Smith’s radar when he became Mesa’s mayor in 2008.
