A prestigious scholarship to the United States for a council manager will bring new ideas, experience and relationships for Auckland, says Mayor Len Brown.
Sanchia Jacobs, the council’s manager of Global Partnerships and Strategy, has been awarded a scholarship from the Eisenhower Fellowship and will be travelling the United States to learn from her peers in a number of major US cities.
The trip is entirely funded by the Eisenhower Fellowship, a trust chaired by former US Secretary of State Colin Powell and named in honour of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The trust brings together professional leaders from around the world to strengthen international ties and allow collaboration to bring better international relations.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Sanchia and the things she will learn and the contacts she will bring back will add real value to Auckland,” says Len Brown.
Previous New Zealand recipients include Honourable Paula Bennett, who took a similar fact-finding tour of the United States while Minister of Social Development in 2011, and David Clark, Labour party spokesperson for economic development and small business in 2013.
A team effort
“While the scholarship is awarded to the person, I am going as a part of the Auckland team and intend to bring my learnings back to my work at Auckland Council,” Ms Jacobs says.
“I have three main objectives: exploring the changing role of cities' national and international leadership, redefining how cities engage internationally, and activating our indigenous and ethnic communities in our global connectivity.”
“Auckland’s work in developing its international relations is in many ways ground breaking; we are moving beyond a solely city-to-city approach and exploring new ways of engaging globally with a view to achieving strategic and tangible outcomes for Auckland," says Sanchia.
"For example, the recently launched Tripartite Economic Alliance between Guangzhou, Los Angeles and Auckland will enable stronger trade, economic and civic connections between three dynamic Asia Pacific powerhouses."
“We need to raise our visibility to remain relevant in the global economy. Part of my job is to frame that in a way that recognises Auckland’s unique proposition and contribution to New Zealand’s future. In this regard, global connectivity is vital for Auckland.”
Funded entirely by the Fellowship, the seven-week trip will include visits to New Orleans and Miami to learn about multiculturalism, international think tanks in Washington DC, a visit to South Dakota to understand the challenges of engaging Native Americans in their city’s international relations, attending a UN forum in New York on indigenous affairs and visits to Los Angeles and San Francisco to gather experience on growing international connections for ports and high technology sectors.