Mayor Van Johnson selected among 46 mayors worldwide for Harvard leadership initiative

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Savannah Mayor Van Johnson has been selected to join the 10th class of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, an international leadership program designed to help mayors strengthen local government and address their communities’ most pressing challenges.

Johnson is one of 46 mayors from 15 countries chosen to participate in the nine-month program, which is offered through Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Business School and the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard.

The program begins this week with a multi-day convening in New York City. In August, two senior City of Savannah officials will also join the initiative.

During the program, Johnson and his leadership team will work with Harvard faculty, policy experts and fellow mayors to develop strategies for improving city government, using data-driven decision-making and strengthening collaboration across departments.

City officials say Savannah plans to focus on affordable housing through the initiative while also learning best practices that can be applied to economic development, public safety, emergency response and other local priorities.

“This is a significant recognition of Mayor Johnson’s leadership and an exciting opportunity for Savannah,” city officials said in announcing the selection.

The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative has now served 447 mayors and more than 3,000 municipal leaders worldwide, including many of the largest cities in the United States and abroad.

After completing the program, Savannah will remain eligible for additional resources, including executive education opportunities for city staff, technical assistance and the potential placement of a Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellow to help advance one of the city’s priority initiatives.