Michelle Cruz has joined the City of Newport News as a Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellow, one of fifteen recent graduates from Harvard University chosen for this two-year program. The fellowship is fully funded and places emerging leaders in city halls across the United States to support municipal priorities and address local challenges.
Cruz will work with City Manager Alan K. Archer and other city leaders to support downtown revitalization efforts and improve quality of life for residents. Her background includes experience as a policy strategist, arts and veterans’ advocate, and jazz vocalist. At Harvard Kennedy School, she served as co-chair of the Arts & Culture Policy Design Council and as co-director of content and strategy for the Black Policy Conference. She also participated in the Harvard to Oval Office program, which prepares women for public service leadership.
Before attending Harvard, Cruz contributed to implementing the PACT Act, which expanded veterans’ health care and benefits, and served as Director of Community Engagement at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island. There, she developed programming that increased downtown visitation.
In her new role, Cruz will help develop strategies for downtown revitalization in collaboration with public, private, and community stakeholders.
“Michelle’s selection as a Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellow is a tremendous opportunity for the City of Newport News,” said City Manager Alan K. Archer. “Her diverse background and innovative approach will help us strengthen partnerships, attract investment, and build upon our ongoing efforts to create a vibrant, thriving downtown for residents and visitors alike.”
Cruz commented on her appointment: “I’m honored to serve the City of Newport News—a community with a rich history of shipbuilding and the birthplace of my music idol, Ella Fitzgerald. I’m eager to contribute to the city’s economic development and creative revitalization.”
The Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellowship is now in its fourth year and places fellows with expertise in areas such as public health, education, urban planning, policy development, and public administration. Fellows apply data-driven decision-making and collaboration to advance mayoral priorities and address municipal needs.
