Mayors from six continents go back to school

As cities find themselves on the frontlines of addressing increasingly global challenges, the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative announced on July 17 the seventh class of 40 mayors and 80 senior municipal leaders from nine countries and six continents who will participate in the yearlong professional management training program.

Established by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard Business School 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. With the announcement, the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative has 275 participating mayors and over 470 participating senior city leaders since its launch in 2017.

Members of the seventh class of mayors are:

• Femke Halsema – Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Ashleigh Aitken – Anaheim, California
• Jim Ross – Arlington, Texas
• Alec von Graffenried – Bern, Switzerland
• William Reynolds – Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
• Jyoti Gondek – Calgary, Canada
• Geordin Hill-Lewis – Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa
• Kevin Hartke – Chandler, Arizona
• Barbara Buffaloe – Columbia, Missouri
• Dean Trantalis – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• José Sarto Nogueira Moreira – Fortaleza, Brazil
• Harvey Ward, Jr. – Gainesville, Florida
• Andrea Horwath – Hamilton, Canada
• Mark Salinas – Hayward, California
• Bruce Teague – Iowa City, Iowa
• Farrah Khan – Irvine, California
• Joshua Morgan – London, Canada
• Rex Richardson – Long Beach, California
• Karen Bass – Los Angeles
• Craig Greenberg – Louisville, Kentucky
• Jared Nicholson – Lynn, Massachusetts
• Fahad Albuliheshi – Madinah, Saudi Arabia
• Ulises Cabrera – Moreno Valley, California
• Phillip Jones – Newport News, Virginia
• Sheng Thao – Oakland, California
• Mark Sutcliffe – Ottawa, Canada
• Curt Skoog – Overland Park, Kansas
• Rita Ali – Peoria, Illinois
• Shannon Martin – Port St. Lucie, Florida
• Brett Smiley – Providence, Rhode Island
• Eduardo Martinez – Richmond, California
• Chris Hoy – Salem, Oregon
• Kimbley Craig – Salinas, California
• John Dailey – Tallahassee, Florida
• Nancy Young – Tracy, California
• Stefano Lo Russo – Turin, Italy
• Christopher Pappas – uMngeni Local Municipality, South Africa
• John Carli – Vacaville, California
• Damiano Tommasi – Verona, Italy
• Tory Whanau – Wellington, New Zealand

“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.”

“The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative creates opportunities for deep connection and sustained engagement with leaders on the front lines in cities around the world, putting knowledge and research to work for millions of individuals,” said Harvard University President Claudine Gay. “Along with the broader efforts of the Bloomberg Center for Cities, it exemplifies the convening power of the University and underscores our commitment to openness and collaboration now and in the future.”