Social Innovation Forum
Join the Social Innovation Forum on March 20, 2018 from 12:00 - 1:30 pm for the Social Issue Talk "Advancing Education in New Bedford." Lunch will be provided. Space is limited so please RSVP below.
SPEAKER
Jon Mitchell, Mayor of New Bedford
As mayor, Jon has sought to re-establish New Bedford as one of the leading cities in the Northeast. He has moved aggressively to reform the city's schools, modernize the port, solidify the downtown as the economic and cultural center of Southeastern Massachusetts, and to elevate the quality of life in every neighborhood.
Jon has made city government more efficient though effective management practices, and now the city has the highest bond rating in its history. His work in economic development has emphasized careful planning, collaboration with the business community, and the need to exploit the city's major assets. The approach has paid off with thousands of new jobs, and a drop in unemployment that led all U.S. cities in 2016. These efforts have been complemented by reforms in the city's schools, where the dropout rate is now at a fifteen year low and test scores have risen steadily. And neighborhood quality of life is markedly better with a sharp drop in crime, the construction of five new parks along with the HarborWalk and CoveWalk, and the establishment of the state's first municipal arts fund.
Under Mayor Mitchell’s leadership, New Bedford also has emerged as one of America's greenest cities. Among other initiatives, the city also has doubled its recycling rate by modernizing its trash collection system, replaced over 10,000 street lights with LED bulbs, retrofitted dozens of city buildings with energy efficient features, and has Massachusetts's largest municipal fleet of electric vehicles. His aggressive cultivation of solar electricity production led the Wall Street Journal to report that New Bedford was first in the continental U.S. in installed solar capacity per capita. Jon has also strived to position New Bedford to become a leader of the American offshore wind industry through the New Bedford Wind Energy Center, the first municipal agency in America devoted to cultivating offshore wind, and he has promoted his approach to energy reform in his capacity as the Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Energy Committee.
Mayor Mitchell’s roots are deeply imbedded in New Bedford. He was born in the city, and hails from a local fishing family that included his grandfather, Alexander Mitchell, whose name is inscribed at the Seamen’s Bethel among local fisherman lost to the sea. The son of public school teachers, Jon was raised in New Bedford and North Dartmouth, and attended local public schools.
2018 Social Innovator
Community Boating Center of New Bedford teaches positive life values to area youth using sailing and boating as a tool to instill important life lessons in students and instructors, including the values of integrity, sound judgement, teamwork, and environmental awareness. Community Boating Center views itself as a community outreach center connecting Greater New Bedford's youth with mentors to enhance their lives through boating.
Track PartnerSchrafft Charitable Trust
ABOUT THE MARCH SOCIAL ISSUE TALKSThis March, the Social Innovation Forum (SIF) will hold eight free, educational events across the city as a part of our annual March Social Issue Talk Series where funders and community leaders can hear from leading experts and our 2018 Social Innovators about the latest trends, best practices, and exciting innovations across a variety of fields. Learn about the entire series here.