AKRON, Ohio - Mayor Dan Horrigan was selected through a competitive process to participate in the inaugural Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. Horrigan was the only Ohio mayor chosen for the program.

The year-long program is a collaboration between Bloomberg Philanthropies and Harvard University and is designed to equip mayors and their senior leaders with tools and techniques to produce results for their citizens.

The program aims to provide mayors with a "customized executive education focused on leadership and innovation in governance," in light of the rising national demand for cities to be self-sufficient.

Horrigan said the program will enable him to gather insight from municipal leaders facing challenges and opportunities similar to Akron's.

"The world is increasingly looking to cities to address complex community issues, while continuing to provide the highest-quality core services," Horrigan said in a news release. "Meanwhile, local leaders are consistently at the center of global innovation and policy-making. Our residents rightfully demand that we utilize the best and most advanced processes and ideas to continually improve our community."

In July, Horrigan attended the kick-off weekend in New York, along with mayors from Nashville, Baltimore and Pittsburgh, and from Sweden, Brazil and the United Kingdom. The trip and program are fully funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

"I'm truly honored to be learning and sharing innovative solutions alongside this fantastic group of peer leaders," Horrigan stated. "I am committed to nurturing a culture of collaboration and innovation in this city, and to finding ways to transform vision into action that truly makes a difference in people's lives. I believe this opportunity will only make me a more informed, engaged and effective leader for Akron. "

Horrigan thanked former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his role in creating the program. You can read the opinion piece Bloomberg and Harvard President Drew Faust wrote about the program in the Boston Globe last August.

In addition to collaborative group sessions, the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative program includes virtual courses, training for key staff and an on-demand system of research and best practices. For more information about the program, visit the program website.

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