Arlington Mayor Jim Ross was selected to participate in the seventh class of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, joining an accomplished set of 40 mayors and 80 senior municipal leaders from their cities who will participate in the yearlong professional management training program.
Established by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard Business School as a first-of-its-kind program to help close the gap in executive development for the public sector, the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative equips mayors and senior city leaders with the tools and expertise to expand their problem-solving capacity, strengthen their city halls, and improve outcomes for residents.
“I’m so excited about the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and learning from some of the finest throughout the country,” Ross said. “The opportunity to gain new leadership skills and management tools to tackle our city’s complex challenges and improve people’s quality of life is invaluable and I am grateful to be invited to participate.”
The flagship program of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative brings together Harvard faculty, staff, and students, alongside experts from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ global network, to work with the mayors and their senior officials over the course of one year. Through a combination of intensive classroom, virtual, and field-based learnings and offerings, the Initiative helps these leaders bolster their teams’ use of data and evidence, drive collaboration and innovation across sectors, and deliver impact for communities. In addition to the core coursework and convenings with peers, each city is also able to access additional offerings, including executive education programs for their economic development, civic engagement, human resources, and procurement leads; opportunities to host a Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellow for up to two years; and instructional research and materials that help city leaders improve key organization practices.
“This year’s class features a diverse, international group of mayors who are changing their cities and the world, and we’re glad to bring them all together in New York,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and 108th mayor of New York City. “Mayors face no shortage of urgent challenges right now – from poverty to climate change to public safety. This program is designed to help build their capacity to lead and empower them to act boldly. We look forward to working closely with this new class throughout the year and to seeing the results they’ll deliver for the millions of residents they serve.”
To kick off their participation, Mayor Ross was one of the 40 mayors, who are from nine countries and six continents, who joined Harvard faculty and renowned management leaders in New York City for a four-day immersive classroom experience. Two senior leaders from each of the cities will begin their participation in the program in August.
