Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed was among African American mayors to meet with President Joe Biden Friday in the Oval Office.

“Today I had the chance to thank folks on the frontlines of some of our toughest challenges: Mayors,” Biden said in a tweet. “Our work to build a better America is far from over – and we won’t be able to do it without the support of leaders (the association).”

The city leaders were in Washington, D.C. for the African American Mayors Association conference. The organization was founded in 2014 to “amplify, advocate, and agitate for equitable policies and resources that our communities deserve,” President Shawyn Patterson-Howard, the mayor of Mount Vernon, NY, said on the organization’s website.

The association provides resources and tools for mayors dealing with issues like COVID-19.

“We will prioritize public safety, address the affordability crisis, improve healthcare access, and build and reinforce 21st century cities through investments in transportation and infrastructure and let’s not forget environmental justice,” Patterson-Howard says on the website.

Reed is first vice president of the association and is expected to be its next president.