Brownsville Mayor John Cowen, Jr. has been selected to be a member of the ninth class of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative (Home – Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative), joining 47 mayors total from 17 countries to participate in the professional management training program. Established by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard Business School as a first-of-its-kind program to help close the gap in executive development for the public sector, the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative equips mayors and senior municipal officials with the tools and expertise to solve pressing local challenges, strengthen their city halls, and improve outcomes for residents. Since its launch in 2017, the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative has provided training to 359 mayors and over 635 senior municipal officials across 41 countries.
“As Mayor of Brownsville, I’m committed to ensuring our city continues to grow stronger and more resilient,” said Mayor Cowen. “Participating in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative allows me to learn from global leaders and bring home proven strategies that strengthen how we serve our residents. I look forward to applying this knowledge to improve government innovation, civic engagement, and the quality of life for all Brownsville families.”
Both Helen Ramirez, ICMA-CM, AICP, Brownsville City Manager, and Alan Guard, CGFO, Brownsville Deputy City Manager, look forward to learning, and benefitting, from Mayor Cowen’s selection to the ninth class of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. Mayor Cowen’s participation in this Initiative is being funded through the institute.
Housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative brings together Harvard faculty, staff, and students, alongside experts from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ global network, to work with the mayors and their senior officials over the course of nine months. Through intensive classroom, virtual, and field-based learnings and offerings, the Initiative helps these leaders bolster their teams’ use of data and evidence, drive collaboration and innovation across sectors, and deliver results for communities. In addition to the core coursework and convenings with peers, after completing the program, each municipality can access additional offerings. This includes education programs for their economic development, civic engagement, human resources, negotiation, and procurement leads; opportunities to host a Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellow for up to two years; and peer-reviewed-research and instructional materials to help local governments improve key organizational practices.
To kick off his participation, Mayor Cowen joined Harvard faculty and renowned management leaders in New York City for a four-day immersive classroom experience. Two senior leaders from each of the 47 cities, including Brownsville, will begin their participation in the program in August.
Notable alumni of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative include Mayor Tim Keller of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Mayor Femke Halsema of Amsterdam, Netherlands; Mayor Lauren McLean of Boise, Idaho; Mayor Jyoti Gondek of Calgary, Canada; Mayor William Cogswell of Charleston, South Carolina; Mayor Justin Bibb of Cleveland, Ohio; Mayor Mike Johnston of Denver, Colorado; Mayor Eddie Melton of Gary, Indiana; Mayor Andy Burnham of Greater Manchester, England; Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird of Lincoln, Nebraska; Mayor Paul Young of Memphis, Tennessee; Mayor Andrea Davis of Missoula, Montana; Mayor Freddie O’Connell of Nashville, Tennessee; Mayor David Holt of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Mayor Cherelle Parker of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Mayor Kate Gallego of Phoenix, Arizona; Mayor Brett Smiley of Providence, Rhode Island; Mayor Pablo Javkin of Rosario, Argentina; Mayor Ron Nirenberg of San Antonio, Texas; Mayor Paige Cognetti of Scranton, Pennsylvania; Mayor Bruce Harrell of Seattle, Washington; Mayor Tom Arceneaux of Shreveport, Louisiana; and Mayor Stefano Lo Russo of Turin, Italy.
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 creating lasting change in five key areas: 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 philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3.7 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.
About the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative:
The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative–a program of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University–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 residents. 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 cityleadership.harvard.edu or visit us on LinkedIn and X.
About the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University:
Founded in 2021 with Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University serves a global community committed to improving public management, leadership, and governance. 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. For more information, please visit cities.harvard.edu or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.