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Celebrate the Value of Professional Management: ICMA's Annual Awards Program

Have you or a colleague made a significant difference in the quality of life for your residents, your staff, or the local government management profession? If so, plan now to share the good news about those accomplishments by nominating a person or program to ICMA's Annual Awards Program. Applications are being accepted through March 8, 2013.

ICMA's Annual Awards program honors creative contributions to professional local government management and increases public awareness of the value of professional management to the quality of life in our communities. An independent Awards Evaluation Panel of 17 U.S. and international ICMA members selects each years' award recipients.

Annual Awards Categories and Eligibility Requirements

ICMA's Annual Awards Program is divided into two categories: the Professional Awards, which recognize the individual achievements of chief administrative officers, assistant administrators, and others; and the Program Excellence Awards, which are presented to local governments and their chief administrators in recognition of their creative and successful programs. Nominations are accepted from both U.S. and International jurisdictions.

Professional Awards

ICMA Professional Awards recognize individual achievement that may have been accomplished through tenure with a number of local governments or organizations. Professional Award Application forms are due to awards@icma.org on or before March 8, 2013. Nominators may nominate an individual to only one Professional Award categories per year:

Award for Career Excellence in Memory of Mark E. Keane recognizes an outstanding chief local government administrator who has fostered representative democracy by enhancing the effectiveness of local elected officials and by consistently initiating creative and successful programs. Eligibility: ICMA Full Membership, a minimum of 10 years of executive, senior-level service to the profession, and endorsement by a past or present elected official. This award is accompanied by a $5,000 stipend to promote professional development of local government managers, through the generous support of ICMA-RC.
Award for Career Development in Memory of L. P. Cookingham recognizes an outstanding local government administrator who has made a significant contribution to the career development of new talent in professional local government management. Eligibility: ICMA Full Membership
Assistant Excellence in Leadership Award in Memory of Buford M. Watson, Jr., recognizes a local government management professional who has made significant contributions toward excellence in leadership while serving as an assistant (regardless of title) to a chief local government administrator or department head. Eligibility: ICMA Membership and endorsement of the CAO of nominee's jurisdiction. Must be full-time assistant reporting to a chief local government administrator or department head who has been responsible for significant administrative duties for at least one year (not including internships in conjunction with an academic program).
Academic Award in Memory of Stephen B. Sweeney recognizes a classroom instructor who has made a significant contribution to the formal education of students pursuing careers in local government. Eligibility: Unrestricted

Program Excellence Awards

ICMA Program Excellence Awards are presented to local governments and their chief administrators in recognition of their innovative and successful programs. Each Program Excellence Award category may have multiple recipients.

Awards are presented to local governments for each of three population ranges: less than 10,000, 10,000-49,999, and 50,000 and greater. Multi-participant nominations will be classified in the population range that corresponds to the population of the largest participating organization.

Any local government whose chief administrator is an ICMA Full Member is eligible to receive a Program Excellence Award. Local governments must limit their nominations to one program per category--with a maximum of four Program Excellence Award nominations per year. Each nomination must be distinct from the others. Eligible programs must have been fully implemented by January 31, 2012*. Program Excellence Award Application forms are due to awards@icma.org on or before March 8, 2013.

Community Health and Safety Awards recognize the local government programs or processes that demonstrate innovation, excellence, and success in the community's safety, health, and/or wellness, including enhancement in the quality of life for the disadvantaged. This category is sponsored in part in memory of Carolyn Keane, first wife of former ICMA Executive Director Mark Keane, and in memory of Bill and Alice Hansell, parents of former ICMA Executive Director Bill Hansell.
Community Partnership Awards recognize the programs or processes that demonstrate innovation, excellence, and success in multi-participant involvement between or among a local government and other governmental entities, private sector businesses, individuals, or nonprofit agencies to improve the quality of life for residents or provide more efficient and effective services.
Community Sustainability Awards recognize the innovative local government programs or processes that demonstrate innovation, excellence, and success in balancing that community's social, economic, environmental, and cultural needs.
Strategic Leadership and Governance Awards recognize the innovative and successful local government programs or processes that have significantly affected a local government organization's culture or strategic direction.

*The implementation date of January 31, 2012 allows for the program to show at least a year's worth of success and progress for the awards evaluation panel to review.

Applications for both the Professional Awards and the Program Excellence Awards are due by March 8, 2013. Applications should be emailed to awards@icma.org. Applications should not be mailed or faxed. The Awards Evaluation Panel welcomes nominations from both our U.S. and International Members.

Submitting a nomination?-review the Frequently Asked Questions

2012 Annual Award Recipients

ICMA recognized local governments and individuals for their outstanding programmatic and personal contributions during the 98th Annual Conference in Phoenix, Arizona and through our 2012 commemorative awards booklet. Click here for a list of all 2012 annual awards recipients and nominees.

Video Archives

ICMA-TV interview with 2012 Professional Award Recipients

ICMA Annual Awards interview with San Antonio Manager, Sheryl Sculley.

ICMA-TV interview with Lauren Palmer, Annual Awards Panel Co-Chair and Ted Gaebler, Recipient of 2009 Award for Career Development in Memory of L.P. Cookingham.

Please direct questions, comments, and suggestions to awards@icma.org or 202/962-3656.