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Mayor Sue Finkam selected for prestigious Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative executive management training program
Senior city officials will receive training to solve pressing local challenges and improve residents' lives
CARMEL, Ind., July 16, 2025 - Mayor Sue Finkam has been selected for the ninth class of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. The only Indiana mayor in the class, she joins 47 mayors total from 17 countries in the multipartisan 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 multipartisan 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. All expenses for participants are being covered in full by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
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.
“I’m honored to join this year's multipartisan Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, funded entirely without taxpayer dollars," said Mayor Finkam. "In a rapidly changing world, mayors face increasingly complex challenges. I'm eager to learn from fellow mayors and world-class faculty, bring innovative ideas back to Carmel and share our own successes to drive even greater impact. My goal is to strengthen our community and enhance the quality of life for everyone who calls Carmel home.”
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 their participation, Mayor Finkam 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 Carmel, will begin their participation in the program in August.
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About the City of Carmel, Indiana
A thriving community acclaimed for its distinct amenities, robust and innovative business environment and excellent schools, the City of Carmel was named the #2 Best Place to Live in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report. Highly regarded by its residents as a safe community offering an exceptional quality of life, Carmel is home to an award-winning parks system and a wealth of cultural options. Carmel is built for big dreams. Find out more at www.carmel.in.gov.
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.
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