City of Hobart Council Lord Mayor, Anna Reynolds, has been named among 39 mayors from 11 countries to take part in executive education and management training as part of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative in New York.
Senior Council staff, CEO, Michael Stretton and City Life Director, Karen Abey, will also participate in the program.
“The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative will provide invaluable insights and tools to tackle our city’s unique challenges and deliver results for the community,” Lord Mayor Reynolds said.
“Connecting with other global city leaders will help us bring back innovative ideas to improve Hobart. Our participation in this program highlights Hobart’s commitment to continuous improvement and excellence in governance.”
Established by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard Business School to help close the gap in executive development for the public sector, the Initiative aims to equip Mayors and senior city leaders with the tools and expertise to expand their problem-solving capacity and improve outcomes for residents as cities confront increasingly global challenges.
The program has provided training to 314 Mayors and more than 540 senior city leaders across 34 countries since its launch in 2017.
A 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 classroom, virtual, and field-based learnings and offerings, the Initiative seeks to help 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 Council is able to access additional offerings, including executive education programs for their economic development, civic engagement, human resources, negotiation, and procurement leads; opportunities to host a Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellow for up to two years; and instructional research and materials to help city leaders improve key organisational practices.
“As national governments increasingly rely on cities to help them achieve their goals, there has never been a greater need for investment in the capacity of mayors and local leaders to do big things,” said founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg L.P. and 108th mayor of New York City, Michael R. Bloomberg.
“Our Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative is designed to help mayors become more effective managers, build strong teams, and learn from the successes of other cities. This diverse class of leaders come from 11 countries, and we’re looking forward to helping them deliver results for the millions of residents they serve.”
To kick off Hobart’s participation, Lord Mayor Reynolds will join Harvard faculty and management leaders in New York City for a four-day immersive classroom experience. Mr Stretton and Ms Abey will begin their participation in the program in August.
The Council says the programs and associated costs are being covered by the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.
