Uma Ramesh, Interim ICMA Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer
Uma Ramesh is chief financial officer (CFO) and interim chief operating officer (COO) of ICMA. She has been with the organization since June 1991, when she accepted the position of controller. In September 2005, Uma was named ICMA’s CFO, and in April 2013, she took on the added responsibilities of interim COO, succeeding Ron Carlee, who left ICMA to become city manager of Charlotte, N.C.
Prior to joining ICMA, Uma worked for five years as controller for an international publishing firm, where she automated all their financial and order fulfillment processes.
As ICMA’s COO, Uma provides day-to-day oversight of ICMA’s operations and leads a seven- member leadership team responsible for all of ICMA’s business lines including: membership, professional development, international programs, U.S. programs, and information, plus support functions such as marketing and communications, facilities, finance, HR, and IT. Uma has in-depth knowledge of the financial and programmatic implications of these business lines and their contributions toward the mission of the organization.
As ICMA’s CFO, Uma holds responsibility for ICMA’s financial management, recommends long-term reserve goals for the organization, leads and coordinates the annual budget process, works with ICMA’s Finance and Audit committees and external auditors, implements cost allocation standards, and is responsible for the investment of ICMA’s cash reserves and Endowment Fund balances.
Uma is recognized within the not-for-profit financial community for her knowledge and understanding of organizational operations, especially as they relate to operating a complicated grants and contracts division.
Uma earned her bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Madras, India, in 1985 and her master’s in information systems from George Mason University in 1988. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Management Accountant. Uma also serves as treasurer for the Center for State and Local Government Excellence and is on the Finance Committee of the Center for Public Administration and Service, Inc., which owns and operates the building in which ICMA is housed.