“Running a city is one of the most complex jobs on the planet. A mayor is responsible for overseeing unwieldy bureaucracies, managing budgets, making policy, implementing programs, bringing legislators together, harnessing technology, building infrastructure, delivering essential services, preparing for and responding to crises, and investing in the future. Citizens expect mayors to perform at the highest level, but being a public executive—like any other job—is a learning experience. Yet once mayors are sworn into office, they have few opportunities to learn from one another and from experts in the field about best practices and effective management tools, so they can expand their knowledge and sharpen their leadership skills.…The new Bloomberg-Harvard partnership … seeks to bridge that gap.”
—Excerpt from an August op-ed in the Boston Globe by alum Michael Bloomberg (MBA 1966) and Harvard University President Drew Faust as part of the announcement of Bloomberg’s $32 million gift to the Harvard Kennedy School to form a City Leadership Initiative in collaboration with HBS. As many as 300 mayors and 400 top mayoral aides will participate in the Initiative’s programs over the next four years.

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