Study Group with Mayor Tishaura Jones: Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Urban Leadership from the Front Lines

America’s urban cities are the front line for policy implementation or resistance. In this discussion with Memphis Mayor, Paul Young, we will learn firsthand of what it’s like to lead a major urban city when expectations are high and the stakes are even higher.

VIRTUAL GUEST: Mayor Paul Young, Mayor of Memphis, TN

AUDIENCE: These conversations are open to members of the Harvard community. Please RSVP with a valid Harvard email address.

OFF-THE-RECORD: In keeping with our long tradition at the IOP to ensure honest and candid discussions of politics, all IOP study groups are off-the-record.

Please register for this study group with a valid Harvard email address.

About Mayor Paul Young

Paul Young was sworn in as mayor of Memphis on January 1, 2024, with a commitment to creating a stronger, safer, and thriving community for all Memphians.

Paul A. Young is a Memphian, father of two, husband to Dr. Jamila Smith-Young, and son of Pastor Dianne Young and the late Bishop William Young of the Memphis Healing Center. Growing up in the Oakhaven neighborhood, Young learned at an early age that there were two Memphises – one ripe with opportunity and prosperity and another lacking resources and safe neighborhoods. Determined to bridge this divide, Young pursued a career focused on building a Memphis that works for every resident.

Young earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee, followed by a Master of Science in urban and regional planning and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Memphis.

Young has spent the last decade improving the quality of life in Memphis by advancing housing security and fostering healthy neighborhoods where families can thrive. As the President of the Downtown Memphis Commission and the former Director of Housing and Community Development for the City of Memphis Division of Housing and Community Development, Young applied a holistic approach to unifying the city through public and private partnerships and targeted investments in our future.

He believes moving the city forward requires strategic investments in public safety, infrastructure, and the potential of our greatest asset – our people.