Naperville Mayor Selected For Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative

Press release from the City of Naperville:

July 23, 2020

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — Mayor Chirico is one of 40 American mayors selected to participate in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative’s intensive leadership and management program. Mayor Chirico 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. The virtual program began in July, which Mayor Chirico is attending at no cost to the City. 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 government performance to leading civic and resident engagement.

“I’m honored to have been chosen for this year’s class of mayors to exchange ideas and discuss how to best approach social and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mayor Chirico said. “I believe this program will enhance my capabilities in these areas, not to mention connect me with other mayors with innovative approaches that could be applied to help in Naperville’s recovery.”

The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative connects Mayor Chirico 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 1000 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.

This press release was produced by the City of Naperville. The views expressed here are the author’s own.