Thomson selected For the Bloomberg Center For Cities At Harvard program for new mayors
Thomson 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
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – As new mayors prepare to take the reins in city halls across the country, Mayor-Elect Kerry Thomson has been selected as one of the 29 newly-elected U.S. mayors to participate in 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.
As a participant in the Program for New Mayors, Thomson will receive world-class training from Harvard faculty, urban innovation and management experts, and other mayors on how to set strategic citywide priorities, build effective city hall organizations, and deliver for residents. Together, the new class of the Program for New Mayors hails from 21 states and represents more than 9.75 million residents nationwide.
“I am honored to be selected for this training and am committed to implementing what I learn to help us build an even better, stronger Bloomington,” said Thomson.
As cities find themselves on the frontlines of addressing increasingly global challenges, the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard’s Program for New Mayors is designed to help new mayors make the most of their roles. Through the program, mayors gain strategic insights for strengthening critical leadership and management skills, leading teams to work across departments and sectors, and building out their city hall organizations in their first days and months in office.
Starting today, Thomson is participating in an immersive, two-day classroom experience at Harvard University. In addition to the core coursework and connection with peers, the Program for New Mayors provides opportunities for participants 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 Anaheim, California Mayor Ashleigh Aitken; Columbia, Missouri Mayor Barbara Buffaloe; Long Beach, California Mayor Rex Richardson; Louisville, Kentucky Mayor Craig Greenberg; Newport News, Virginia Mayor Phillip Jones; Oakland, California Mayor Sheng Thao; 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 and housing access to improving community safety and aging city infrastructure — in order to better serve residents’ needs.
The Program for New Mayors is housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, home to a fast-growing 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 the Institute of Politics in 1975.
About the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University:
Founded in 2021 with Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University is a fast-growing global community committed to improving public management, leadership, and governance. The Bloomberg Center for Cities is an unprecedented cross-Harvard collaboration that 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, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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 five key areas for creating lasting change: 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 pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2022, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed U.S. $1.7 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow U.S. on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter/X, and LinkedIn.
About The Institute of Politics:
The Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School was established in 1966 as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. The Institute’s mission is to unite and engage students, particularly undergraduates, with academics, politicians, activists, policymakers, and journalists on a non-partisan basis to inspire them to pursue pathways in politics and public service. For more information about the Institute of Politics and its programming, visit iop.harvard.edu.
About the U.S. Conference of Mayors:
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Follow our work on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, and Medium.
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