Scrima attends another Harvard seminar

Jeff Scrima has returned from Harvard.

For the second time in a year, the Waukesha mayor attended a leadership seminar at the prestigious Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.

Last summer, Scrima attended the three-week Senior Executives in State and Local Government program that was designed to help public officials learn more aboutleadership, negotiations, public/private partnerships, cooperative governance, behavioral decision making and microeconomics.

This year's program was a five-day seminar titled Leadership for the 21st Century: Chaos, Conflict and Courage at the John F. Kennedy School for Executive Education.

According to the online brochure, the program required participants to be actively engaged in the classroom, in small groups and in individual reflection.

Its website says the program "is a provocative seminar that introduces a set of conceptual frameworks and a unique teaching method designed to challenge fundamental assumptions about how you can courageously and effectively exercise leadership and authority during hard times.

"It challenges you to look beyond formulating quick technical solutions that act as band-aids to deeper organizational challenges, and instead asks you to examine yourself and the competing commitments and loyalties in your organization or community."

The program explored a wide range of leadership strategies and ways of exercising leadership.

The program cost $6,900 that covered tuition, housing, curricular materials and most meals. Scrima said $3,677 of that fee was covered from the Mayor's Office Conference and Training Budget. He said he paid for the rest.

Last year's three-week program cost $11,450 and like this year, $3,677 was covered by the Mayor's Office Conference and Training Budget. The rest was covered by Scrima.

"I'm thankful to go out and learn from the best in order to bring new ideas back to Waukesha for our community," Scrima said.