Mayor Kim Driscoll participating in Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative

Mayor Kim Driscoll is one of 40 American mayors selected to participate in the fourth class of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative’s intensive leadership and management program. She joins a class of dedicated mayors, who will attend immersive, online classes taught by faculty from Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School and featuring other renowned management experts from across the Bloomberg Philanthropies network.

With mayors playing a central role in driving social and economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, this year’s program will focus on the skills required to respond to emerging challenges with an emphasis on equity.

Based on case studies developed at Harvard, sessions will focus on the latest management and leadership practices and cover a range of topics on advancing recovery, from developing new policy and driving performance to leading civic and resident engagement. Sessions begin the week of July 9.

“I’m very much looking forward to joining this year’s class of mayors and exchanging ideas with my colleagues and other experts about how we can recover from the COVID-19 pandemic equitably and safely,” said Driscoll. “Our approaches to major public policy challenges in Salem have always been data-driven and focused on evidence-based solutions. I’m excited about the opportunity to collaborate with other mayors to identify more possibilities for innovative approaches to the critical work ahead of all of us.”

The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative will connect Driscoll to some of the university’s top educators, coaching from experts, a network of peers, and technical assistance. The program provides an opportunity to share promising approaches and learn from fellow mayors about the ideas that are already helping to enhance the quality of life in cities around the world.

Launched in 2017, the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative is a collaboration between Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Business School, and Bloomberg Philanthropies to equip mayors and senior city officials to tackle complex challenges in their cities and improve the quality of life of their citizens. To date, the Initiative has worked with over 1,000 mayors and senior city officials in 350 cities worldwide. The Initiative has also advanced research and developed new curriculum and teaching tools to help city leaders solve real-world problems.