Mike Bloomberg Announces New City Leadership Series for Global Mayors to Aid COVID-19 Economic and Social Recovery
After 11 virtual convenings with more than 280 mayors and 360 cities in partnership with the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Bloomberg Philanthropies rolls out next phase of programming for city leaders
NEW YORK, NY: Mike Bloomberg announced today a new set of supports for cities to aid COVID-19 as part of Bloomberg Philanthropies COVID-19 Local Response Initiative. Speaking at the 11th convening of mayors hosted in partnership with the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Bloomberg informed cities that the new programming will focus on economic and social recovery and is open to mayors around the world.
The Leading Economic and Social Recovery Series will convene global city leaders monthly starting on June 18, 2020 and continue through the end of the year. The aim of the series is to help mayors and their senior leadership teams manage ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and build back better, with the sessions focusing on equitable recovery, building and maintaining resident trust, crisis budgeting and fiscal recovery, and supporting the city workforce during a period of profound change and uncertainty. Led by the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and featuring faculty from the Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Business School, the sessions will include experts from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, who will provide the latest evidence-based guidance as the pandemic evolves.
The Leading Economic and Social Recovery Series is open to sitting mayors from all cities of any size, domestically and internationally, including current participants in the Bloomberg Philanthropies COVID-19 Local Response Initiative. Cities interested in joining the new sessions should email CoronavirusResponse@bloomberg.org to reserve a spot.
“The actions mayors have taken — with little help from Washington — have saved thousands of lives in cities and towns across the country,” said Mike Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, and three-term mayor of New York City. “As we enter this new phase, we’re going to make sure they continue to have the best data and information available, untainted by politics. And we’ll support them as they develop and implement re-opening plans that focus on both economic recovery and public health. Their leadership will remain critical to moving our country forward responsibly.”
Bloomberg was joined at the 11th virtual mayors convening by Harvard University President Lawrence S. Bacow; Professor Jorrit de Jong, Faculty Director, Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative; Harvard Kennedy School professor Juliette Kayyem; Harvard Business School professor Dutch Leonard; and Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, MD, Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative.
“While COVID-19 has tested us as individuals and as leaders in ways that we could never have anticipated, it has also brought out the best in people – thinking differently, moving quickly, and harnessing our skills, ingenuity and creativity to help communities confront this crisis,” said Harvard President Lawrence Bacow. “Though many uncertainties and trials lie ahead, Harvard is dedicated to helping leaders meet the challenges of the pandemic in cities around the world.”
Bloomberg Philanthropies launched the COVID-19 Local Response Initiative in March to help cities combat the devastating impact of coronavirus on the wellbeing of residents and local economies. Working with the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the network provides mayors with the most up-to-date information on the virus from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and crisis management support from experts across Harvard.
Since launching, hundreds of city leaders have joined the virtual convening each week. The aim of the program is to provide cities with the tools to understand, respond and manage a dynamic public health crisis, they will be better prepared to slow the spread of coronavirus in the United States and protect their residents. President Bill Clinton, President George W. Bush, President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, Chef José Andrés, Vice President Joe Biden, and Dr. Anthony Fauci have all joined as speakers.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in more than 570 cities and over 160 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 and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2019, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3.3 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.
About the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative
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. Launched in 2017, 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. For more information, please visit the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative or visit us on LinkedIn and Twitter.