Mayor Jimmy Gray Participating in Bloomberg Center for Cities
This week, Mayor Jimmy Gray of Hampton, VA is participating in the Program for New Mayors: First 100 Days at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University. This program assists mayors in gaining the tools and training to help them set strategic priorities and build an effective city hall organization through the first 100 days in office.
In this year’s class, 24 new mayors from 11 states across the country will come together to receive world-class training from Harvard faculty, urban innovation and management experts, and other mayors on how to deliver for residents.
The following statement is attributable to James Anderson, who serves as the head of Government Innovation Programs at Bloomberg Philanthropies:
“The Bloomberg Center for Cities Program for New Mayors: First 100 Days equips newly elected U.S. mayors with the tools and techniques they need to lead as they begin their transition from campaigning to governing. You only get to be the new kid on the block once — and this program helps ensure these mayors have ready access to insights from seasoned mayors, evidence about what works in leadership and public management, and connections to a peer group that is going through the same things. Alongside the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard, our team at Bloomberg Philanthropies together with the Institute of Politics and the U.S. Conference of Mayors support these new mayors in building effective, talented teams, forging citywide coalitions, and injecting their city hall organization with a culture of innovation so that in their critical, early days in office, they can set ambitious priorities and deliver.”
More information for the program can be found here and below, and I will be able to share photos after the program has run. Please let me know if you’re interested, and I’d be more than happy to share more information.
24 Newly-Elected Mayors Begin Program for New Mayors: First 100 Days
Mayors will gain tools and training from the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, Bloomberg Philanthropies, U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School to set strategic priorities and build an effective city hall organization through the first 100 days in office.
The new class of the Program for New Mayors hails from 12 states and represents more than 5 million residents nationwide.
Cambridge, Massachusetts – As new mayors prepare to take the reins in city halls across the country, 24 newly-elected U.S. mayors have been selected for the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University’s Program for New Mayors: First 100 Days, delivered in collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies, The U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School.
Cities increasingly confront complex global challenges at the community level. The Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard’s Program for New Mayors is designed to maximize mayors’ potential for innovation and problem-solving, equipping newly-elected leaders with the skills to make the most of their roles and improve residents’ quality of life. Through the program, mayors will receive training from Harvard faculty, urban innovation and management experts, and other mayors on how to set strategic citywide priorities, build effective city hall organizations, foster collaboration across departments and sectors, and deliver for residents—establishing a strong foundation for their administrations during their critical early days in office.
To kick off participation, the newly-elected U.S. mayors—collectively representing 11 states and over 5 million residents—will convene for a two-day immersive classroom experience at Harvard University. In addition to the core coursework and connection with peers, the Program for New Mayors provides opportunities for new mayors to share strategies with other mayors through the Bloomberg Center for Cities’ vast mayoral leadership network and learn about interventions that are already working effectively to better resident lives in other cities.
Notable Program for New Mayors alumni include Beaumont, Texas Mayor Roy West; Columbia, Missouri Mayor Barbara Buffaloe; Des Moines, Iowa Mayor Connie Boesen; Durham, North Carolina Mayor Leonardo Williams; Lafayette, Louisiana Mayor Monique Blanco Boulet; Long Beach, California Mayor Rex Richardson; Louisville, Kentucky Mayor Craig Greenberg; Missoula, Montana Mayor Andrea Davis; Ogden, Utah Mayor Ben Nadolski; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Mayor Cherelle Parker; and Providence, Rhode Island Mayor Brett Smiley. Alumni have deployed the program’s learnings to lead their communities through unexpected crises, establish working coalitions with diverse stakeholders, and set ambitious goals to meet complex challenges — from tackling homelessness to improving housing access, critical water infrastructure, or government performance — in order to better serve residents’ needs.
The Program for New Mayors is housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, which serves a global community committed to improving public management, leadership, and governance. Founded in 2021 with Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Center is part of Michael R. Bloomberg’s commitment to the University to help bolster the capabilities of mayors and their teams. The Center’s cross-Harvard collaboration unites expertise focused on cities across disciplines and schools to produce research, train leaders, and develop resources for global use. The Center is designed to have widespread impact on the future of cities, where more than half of the world’s people now live, by informing and inspiring local government leaders, scholars, students, and others who work to improve the lives of residents around the world.
The Program for New Mayors builds on the longstanding tradition of a seminar for new mayors that originated at Harvard’s Institute of Politics in 1975.
Members of the Third Class of the Program for New Mayors: First 100 Days
- Alyia Gaskins – Alexandria, VA
- Ron Bernal – Antioch, CA
- Adena Ishii – Berkeley, CA
- Emma Mulvaney-Stanak – Burlington, VT
- Bruce Rector – Clearwater, FL
- Kaarin Knudson – Eugene, OR
- Raj Salwan – Fremont, CA
- David LaGrand – Grand Rapids, MI
- Jimmy Gray – Hampton, VA
- Beach Pace – Hillsboro, OR
- Patrick Farrell – Huntington, WV
- Michael Zarosinski – Medford, OR
- Mark Freeman – Mesa, AZ
- Janet Cowell – Raleigh, NC
- Danny Avula – Richmond, VA
- Kevin McCarty – Sacramento, CA
- Julie Hoy – Salem, OR
- Dan Lurie – San Francisco, CA
- Lisa Borowsky – Scottsdale, AZ
- Jake Anderson – St. Cloud, MN
- Dustin Yates – St. George, LA
- Christina Fugazi – Stockton, CA
- Kevin Sartor – Surprise, AZ
- Andrea Sorce – Vallejo, CA
Read more about the Program for New Mayors: First 100 Days.