Mayor Harrell Joins Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative to Advance City Progress and Improve Outcomes for Residents

Mayor Harrell is among the 39 mayors across 11 countries and five continents who will receive executive education and management training to strengthen their city hall and deliver results for communities.

Today - The City of Seattle and Mayor Bruce Harrell were selected for the eighth class of the Bloomberg Harvard Leadership Initiative, which 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 as cities confront increasingly global challenges. The initiative was established by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard Business School as a first-of-its-kind program for executive development for the public sector.

"Innovation and improvement are part of Seattle's DNA, and the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative is an opportunity to double down on our work to be one of the most well-managed and data-driven local governments in the nation. By learning from experts and researchers as well as from other cities facing similar challenges, we can make progress on our most intractable issues," said Mayor Bruce Harrell. "Thank you to Bloomberg Philanthropies and Harvard University for supporting Seattle in this exciting initiative and our goal of serving our community effectively, efficiently, and equitably.

The initiative is a program of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, and 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. The Initiative helps these leaders bolster their teams' use of data and evidence, drive collaboration and innovation across sectors, and deliver impact for communities. Each city 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 organizational 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 Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg L.P. and 108th mayor of New York City. "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."

Seattle is currently working on a Procurement Transformation Project to help make City purchasing and contracting more results-driven, accessible, and equitable. This project is supported by a one-million-dollar grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies and technical assistance from the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab. In 2023, Seattle was part of Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance to improve services, programs, and operations for our community and also received a gold certification for our use of data from What Works Cities and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

"The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative brings together city leaders from across the nation and the world," said Harvard University Interim President Alan Garber. "They work with one another and draw on resources from throughout the University to address pressing social problems, improving the lives of millions of people. I am pleased to join Bloomberg Philanthropies in welcoming our eighth cohort of mayors and senior leaders to the program."

About Bloomberg Philanthropies:

Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg's giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2023, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube Threads, Facebook, and X.

About The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative:
The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative-a program of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University-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 residents. The Initiative has also advanced research and developed new curriculum and teaching tools to help city leaders solve real-world problems. For more information, please visit the cityleadership.harvard.edu or visit us on LinkedIn and X.

About The Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University:
Founded in 2021 with Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University serves a global community committed to improving public management, leadership, and governance. 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. For more information, please visit cities.harvard.edu or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

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