Hartford’s Arulampalam joining yearlong executive development program for mayors

Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam has been selected to participate in a yearlong international leadership program for mayors, his office announced Wednesday.

Arulampalam is part of the eighth class of the Bloomberg Harvard Leadership Initiative, along with 39 mayors from 11 countries.

The professional management training program began Sunday with a four-day program in New York City.

“Every Hartford resident deserves to be connected to each other and to their City government, and I plan to bring that approach and share Hartford’s progress with leaders across the nation and beyond,” said Mayor Arulampalam. “I’m committed to collaborating with mayors on a national level to exchange ideas and bring innovative solutions back to Hartford.”

According to the release from the mayor’s office, the program, established by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard Business School aims “to help close the gap in executive development for the public sector” and “equips mayors and senior city leaders with the tools and expertise to expand their problem-solving capacity, strengthen their city halls, and improve outcomes for residents as cities confront increasingly global challenges.”

Arulampalam has also been elected to the Advisory Board of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.