The Mayor of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, has been selected among 41 Mayors across the world to participate in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.

The program which is delivered by faculty from Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School as well as world-class experts from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ global network aims to provide an intensive learning experience for the Mayors and their senior leaders to equip them with the tools and expertise to effectively lead their respective cities. 

The yearlong program kicked off on Monday with a 3-day, immersive classroom experience as part of efforts to foster professional growth and advance their capabilities to drive innovation and deliver results for residents. 

Other  mayors nominated to participate in the Initiative are Sandy Verschoor (Adelaide, Australia), Kelly Girtz (Athens, GA), Hardie Davis (Augusta, GA), Richard Irvin (Aurora, IL), Steve Adler (Austin, TX), Matúš Vallo (Bratislava, Slovakia), Byron Brown (Buffalo, NY), Lori Lightfoot (Chicago, IL), Mary Salas (Chula Vista, CA), Scott Brook (Coral Springs, FL), Eric Johnson  (Dallas, TX), Nan Whaley (Dayton, OH), Jenn Daniels (Gilbert, AZ), Eckart Würzner (Heidelberg, Germany).

The rest are Steve Williams (Huntington, WV), Danene Sorace (Lancaster, PA), Leirion Gaylor Baird (Lincoln, NE), Satya Rhodes-Conway (Madison, WI), Jacob Frey (Minneapolis, MN), Bonnie Crombie (Mississauga, Ontario), Yxstian Gutierrez (Moreno Valley, CA), LaToya Cantrell (New Orleans, LA), Ras Baraka (Newark, NJ), Nuatali Nelmes (Newcastle, Australia), David Holt (Oklahoma City, OK), Kate Gallego (Phoenix, AZ), Nicholas Gradisar (Pueblo, CO), Claudio Castro (Renca, Chile), Hillary Schieve (Reno, NV), Kim Norton (Rochester, MN), Lovely Warren (Rochester, NY), London Breed (San Francisco, CA), Miguel Trevino (San Pedro, Mexico), Adrian Perkins (Shreveport, LA), Rick Kriseman (St. Petersburg, FL), Anna König Jerlmyr (Stockholm, Sweden), Jane Castor (Tampa, FL), Reed Gusciora (Trenton, NJ), Rafał Trzaskowski (Warsaw, Poland), and Brian Bowman (Winnipeg, Manitoba).

Out of the total number of Mayors participating in of this year’s third class, 18 representing nearly half are women with three serving as their city’s first female mayor whiles 16 representing 39 percent are in their first year of office. Of the U.S. Mayors, more than one third (12) are African American or Hispanic.

"Cities are leading the way on most of the big issues we face, from fighting climate change, to protecting public health, to creating new jobs and giving people new skills,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, and three-term Mayor of New York City at the opening . 

“The more we do to support mayors, the faster progress can happen – and that’s what this program is all about. This year’s group brings a wide range of perspectives on shared challenges, and we’re looking forward to seeing the results," he added.

 “The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative provides an opportunity for mayors and their teams to share best practices with one another in a setting that encourages the free exchange of ideas and the thoughtful application of knowledge,” said Harvard President Larry Bacow.

 He notes that “We are delighted to create a nutrient rich environment in which those who shape the future of cities across the country and around the world have an opportunity to leverage the considerable intellectual capital of our faculty.”

More pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bloombergphilanthropies/albums/72157709596562751