Why Cities Matter and Who Leads Them. Introduction and Personal Background.

I was a novice to government service when I decided to run for Mayor of Mesa, Arizona, a large suburb of Phoenix and the 38th largest city in the U.S. Mayor Michael Bloomberg once said that the greatest asset any mayor can have is ignorance, meaning he/she doesn't know what they can't do. I was overflowing with ignorance, which was wonderful! I had spent my professional career as a professional and business executive. Was that business background an asset or an obstacle to making a difference in government? Should we run government like a business?  These questions are part of nearly every political campaign. We will explore both the truth and the fallacy of that question, drawing from my experiences in both arenas.

Room: Littauer 166

***All study groups are off-the-record and not for media coverage***