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Fire chief receives
Harvard fellowship

By Rod Ohira
Star-Bulletin

Fire Chief Attilio Leonardi has been awarded a Harvard fellowship for an interactive course in government management offered by the university's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

The National Fire Protection Association and the International Association of Fire Chiefs is paying Leonardi's $8,700 program fee and his travel expenses, Fire Department spokesman Richard Soo said.

The 54-year-old Leonardi, who earned a master's degree in public administration from the University of Hawaii in 1994, will be on paid administrative leave June 11-30 while at Harvard.

"It's a great opportunity for me and the department and I'm real excited about it," said Leonardi, a graduate of Kapaa High and Church College of Hawaii (now Brigham Young University-Hawaii).

"It gives me a chance to get out and interface with other top metro managers to learn different types of management techniques. There's a lot of case studies and discussion so we'll get to see how different people think and make decisions. It also allows us to keep abreast of all the changes."

Leonardi is one of eight fire administrators, selected from over 150 who applied, who were awarded fellowships. A total of about 150 senior executives in state and local governments will be attending one of three, three-week sessions over the summer.

"Chief Leonardi's selection to attend this prestigious course is recognition of the professionalism of the Honolulu Fire Department, especially its senior leadership," Mayor Jeremy Harris said.

Deputy Chief John Clark will serve as Honolulu's acting fire chief during Leonardi's absence.