CLEVELAND — Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb is heading to Harvard.
On Tuesday, the Mayor's office announced that Bibb is one of 40 global mayors to have been selected to participate in the sixth class of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative’s intensive leadership and management program. As a part of the program, which began on Monday, Bibb will attend in-person and virtual classes taught by faculty from Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School and featuring experts from across the Bloomberg Philanthropies network.
According to a release, those who are participating in the program have identified equitable growth, jobs and economic development, and poverty reduction; affordable housing and homelessness; transportation and infrastructure; and climate, resiliency, and resource management as some of their top policy priorities. By participating in the program, the mayors "expect to grow in their capabilities to lead change and advance equity, innovate to tackle complex problems, build citywide collaboration, and improve community engagement to inspire action and better serve residents."
“I’m pleased to join this year’s class of mayors to exchange ideas and discuss how to best approach the concerns we share,” Mayor Bibb said in a statement. “Around the world today, mayors are leading the way with innovative approaches to social and economic recovery. I look forward to bringing back lessons learned to deliver on the promise of a modern and responsive city hall for all Clevelanders.”
The in-person portion of the program began on Monday, with Bibb attending at no cost to the City of Cleveland. The non-partisan program focuses on teaching leadership, organizational, and problem-solving capabilities, as opposed to specific policy recommendations.