Each year, the Rappaport Institute conducts a Training for Newly Elected Officials. This free half-day training exposes newly elected officials to some of the important policy and practical issues that will face them during their tenure in public office. Events like this allow local elected officials to get to know each other and discuss common concerns. Along with meeting and greeting one another, the agendas combine practical subject matters such as “What Your City/Town Manager Wants You to Know” and critical policy issues including transportation, housing, and environmental issues.

The Training for Newly Elected Officials is held each winter and has reached over 55 elected officials in the past three years at both the municipal and state level. The 2001 and 2003 trainings were for municipal officials and covered topics such as planning, education, finance, and transportation. Municipal officials were able to discuss public policy issues with experts such as Gina McCarthy of the Office of Commonwealth Development, Eleanor White of Housing Partners, Inc.and Richard Weissbourd of the Graduate School of Education.

The 2002 Training for Newly Elected Officials was held in conjunction with the Office of the Speaker of the House Thomas Finneran and covered national and state trends in housing, finance, and innovations. Newly Elected State Representatives discussed these public policy issues with local experts such as Michael Widmer of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Bill Apgar of the Joint Center for Housing Studies and Steve Goldsmith and Elaine Kamarck of the Kennedy School of Government.

As more information becomes available on programs for Newly Elected Officials, we will update this page.