By Tom McClimon
December 19, 2011

"It's the best job in the world," was the message repeated often to new and newly elected mayors at a seminar for new mayors held at Harvard University. Twenty-three incoming mayors'elect or new mayors from larger cities gathered at the John F. Kennedy School of Government for a three-day seminar on exercising leadership and promoting effective public policy.

The 19th biennial Seminar on Transition and Leadership, co'sponsored by the Conference of Mayors and the Institute of Politics, was held November 30 through December 2. The newly elected mayors participated in a number of sessions, led by current and former mayors, academicians, and practitioners. Focusing on training for new city leaders, topics included transitioning from the campaign to city hall, budgeting and finance, jobs and economic development, public education, and the rise of social media.

Participating new and newly-elected mayors were: Portland (ME) Mayor Michael Brennan, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Ogden (UT) Mayor Mike Caldwell, Spokane Mayor David Condon, Parma (OH) Mayor Timothy DeGeeter, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, Old Bridge Township (NJ) Mayor Owen Henry, Kansas City (MO) Mayor Sly James, Clarksville (TN) Mayor Kim McMillan, Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, Lorain (OH) Mayor Chase M. Ritenauer, Revere (MA) Mayor Dan Rizzo, Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, Reading (PA) Mayor Vaughn Spencer, Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, Columbus(GA) Mayor Teresa Pike Tomlinson, Muncie (IN) Mayor Dennis Tyler, Fontana(CA) Mayor Aqcuanetta Warren, Thornton (CO) Mayor Heidi Williams, Arvada (CO) Mayor Marc Williams, and Surprise (AZ) Mayor Sharon Wolcott.

Conference of Mayors Vice President Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter led the list of current and former mayors who participated as faculty members for the program. In the opening dinner remarks, Nutter challenged the new mayors to be leaders and do what they believe is the right thing to do. The mayor also encouraged the new mayors to learn from other mayors' best practices.

In addition, the Nutter, three other past Conference of Mayors presidents served as faculty members' Boston Mayor Tom Menino, former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb and former Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe. Menino and Webb both participated on the panel on "Jobs and Economic Development. Ashe helped lead the discussion on transitioning from the campaign to city hall.

Other mayors who served as faculty members were: Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer who participated in the transitioning session; Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone who was a panelist on the finance and administration session and former Washington (DC) mayor Anthony Williams who also participated on the finance and administration session. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings'Blake was a presenter on pensions and health care; Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras participated on the public education session; Newton Mayor Setti Warren was a panelist on the public safety session; and Tuscaloosa Mayor Walter Maddox, who help lead the discussion on crisis management. Other presenters included former Providence Mayor Congressman David Cicciline and David Lieberth, Deputy Mayor of Akron (OH), both who participated in the intergovernmental affairs session.

A new session was held this year on the rise of social media and how mayors can take advantage of it. Discussed were both the pros – using it to better communicate with constituents and the cons – the rise of bloggers who can misrepresent the truth, as witnessed by several recent mayoral recall attempts. The discussion was lead by Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran, and Trey Grayson, Director of the Institute of Politics. Panelists included Christina Bellantoni, Associate Politics Editor of Roll Call; and Nicco Mele, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at the Kennedy School and former webmaster for the Howard Dean for President Campaign.

Nutter was joined by Rawlings'Blake, Hancock, and Fischer in a public forum for students and faculty on challenges faced by cities such as the Occupied Wall Street movement, flash mobs and gun violence.