Media Contact:
Lauren Miller
lauren_miller@hks.harvard.edu
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CAMBRIDGE, MA – The Institute of Politics (IOP) at Harvard Kennedy School today announced the appointment of former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter as Chairman of the Institute’s Senior Advisory Committee. Mayor Nutter has served on the Advisory Committee since February 2021and was an IOP Visiting Fellow in 2018-2020. The Advisory Committee works closely with the Institute to help it fulfill its mission to inspire Harvard students to pursue pathways in politics and public service. 

“I’m honored to serve as the new Chairman of the Senior Advisory Committee at the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School and to work with such a distinguished group of leaders. The IOP is one of the world’s premiere arenas for political debate and policy making, and I’m thrilled to provide guidance and leadership of the Advisory Committee as the IOP meets the evolving challenges of our 21st century democracy," said Michael Nutter. 

“Mayor Michael Nutter has been an invaluable member of the Institute of Politics family for years, and we are excited to have him take on this leadership role on the Senior Advisory Committee. Mayor Nutter’s life of service and vast experience tackling the most pressing issues facing our democracy today will be a tremendous resource for the IOP and our students,” said Mark D. Gearan ‘78, Institute of Politics Director.

​​“The Institute of Politics and the entire Harvard community will benefit greatly from Mayor Michael Nutter’s leadership on the Senior Advisory Committee. His valuable experience in governance and elected office will help the IOP continue to expand and innovate in its mission to inspire students to lives of public service,” said Douglas Elmendorf, Dean of the Harvard Kennedy School.

Michael Nutter served as the 98th Mayor of the City of Philadelphia. As mayor, he managed Philadelphia through the Great Recession, and the City's credit rating was upgraded to “A” by the three major credit agencies for the first time since the 1970s. Mayor Nutter is a past President of the United States Conference of Mayors as well as the Pennsylvania Municipal League, an organization that brings together municipal officials from across Pennsylvania to advance policy initiatives. During the Obama Administration, Nutter served on My Brother’s Keeper Advisory Council. In 2020, he was elected to the Advisory Board of the African American Mayors Association and the Board of the Urban Institute. Mayor Nutter has been a political commentator for CNN and PBS Newshour and is a Senior Fellow and national spokesperson for the What Works Cities program through Bloomberg Philanthropies. He is a life-long Philadelphian from West Philadelphia and was educated at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Mayor Nutter is married to his wife Lisa, and a proud parent to Christian and Olivia. Mayor Nutter was a Fellow at the IOP in Fall 2020. 

From its founding in 1966 as a living memorial to President Kennedy, the Institute has benefited from the advice and engagement of the Senior Advisory Committee, a bipartisan group of distinguished individuals who have held roles in elected office, public service, and journalism. The Senior Advisory Committee convenes bi-annually to focus on topics prominent on the Institute’s agenda—in areas such as student programming, internship opportunities, and the changing landscape of today’s civic life. Additional members of the IOP’s Senior Advisory Committee are:  

• David Axelrod, Director, University of Chicago Institute of Politics, and former Senior Advisor to President Obama 
• Sarah Bianchi ’95 (on leave), Deputy United States Trade Representative 
• Maj. Gen. Charles Frank Bolden Jr., Former Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and United States Marine Corps – Retired 
• LaTosha Brown, Co-Founder, Black Voters Matter Fund 
• Alex Burns ’08, National Political Correspondent, The New York Times 
• Heather Campion, Managing Director, Koya Leadership Partners, and former CEO, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Foundation 
• Torie Clarke, former Senior Vice President for Corporate Affairs, SAP, and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs 
• William D. Delahunt, Special Counsel, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC and Former U.S. Representative from Massachusetts' 10th District (D) 
• Jeff Flake, former U.S. Senator from Arizona (R) 
• Joseph Kennedy III J.D. ‘09, former U.S. Representative from Massachusetts' 4th District (D) 
• Susan Molinari, former Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs, Google, and former U.S. Representative from New York's 13th District (R) 
• Abby Phillip ’10, CNN Senior Political Correspondent and Anchor of Inside Politics Sunday with Abby Phillip  
• Philip R. Sharp, Past President, Resources for the Future and former U.S. Representative from Indiana’s 2nd and 10th Districts (D) 
• Olympia Snowe, Senior Fellow, Bipartisan Policy Center, and former U.S. Senator from Maine (R) 
• Alice Stewart, CNN Political Commentator and Media Consultant 
• Michelle Wu '07, J.D. '12, Mayor-elect, City of Boston 

After 18 months of virtual programming and with strict COVID health and safety protocols in place, the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School has reopened its doors for students, welcomed a new class of Resident Fellows to campus, and kicked off the school year with a record number of applicants to its 16 student programs. The IOP has featured such notable guests virtually and in-person this semester as 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Ressa; Jeff Horwitz; Gov. Deval Patrick; Christopher Krebs; Steve Kornacki; Dr. Ibram Kendi, Heather McGhee, and Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad; Dr. Rachel Levine; Rep. Hakeem Jeffries; Secretary Ash Carter; Dolores Huerta; Rep. Katherine Clark; and Leon Panetta and Andrew Card.

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