2005 Local Government Management Interns, Meredith, New Hampshire

Eleven undergraduates from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, finished their journey to Meredith, New Hampshire, on May 31, 2005.  But this journey's end was only the beginning of nine weeks exposure into the workings of local government. These 11 students are the 2005 Local Government Management Interns. Accompanied by two professors from Wittenberg University advising the students on their projects and course work, these interns came to Meredith to learn about local government in action.

"As town manager of a small community that expands significantly during the summer/fall tourist season, the LGMI is off to a very positive start," said Meredith Town Manager Carol Granfield.  "The varied projects the interns are working on will not only benefit our community, but I hope will be models for other communities in the state. Our initially skeptical department heads have already witnessed the benefits and are seeking to have interns involved with more projects!  The blend of the management team's experience with the eagerness, talent, and skills of the interns is most refreshing.  I hope the involvement of the interns with all phases of local government will aid in their career choices, and I look forward to their involvement over the summer. We are also learning from them, so it's of mutual benefit to all!"

In addition, Meredith lined up partner external organizations, such as The Greater Meredith Program, which also need project help that will benefit the town of Meredith.  All in all, the program has been running very smoothly to date.

"Meredith has been a great fit with the program goals.  And as a smaller community, with small staff size, Meredith has very interesting and significant projects they have handed to the students to complete," said Dr. Rob Baker, co-director of the LGMI program.  "These projects are well developed and discrete up front, which allowed for an immediate launch once we arrived."

Meet the Interns!

Front Row
    Sarah Morgan ('06) Willoughby, OH
    Josh Mishkin ('06) Baltimore, MD
    Margret Zmrazek ('07) Medina, OH
    Christina Vickers ('06) Cincinnati, OH 
Middle Row
    Jeff Auble ('06) Noblesville, IN
    Ryan Deutschendorf ('07) Northville, MI
    Aaron Schmalzle ('05) Nairobi, Kenya   
Back Row
    Mike Judge ('07) West Bloomfield, MI
    Chase Cordial ('06) Columbus, OH
    Michael Blum ('07) New Albany, IN
    Peter Gillette ('05) Mentor, OH

"It has been a great experience so far. Probably more than anything else, this internship has helped to foster within myself and fellow students here a strong and confident personality that is both geared for and ready for success once we have all finished our years at Wittenberg.  We are beginning to get a physical complement to the strong mental preparation for life that we have been building thus far at Witt.  Our efforts in the classroom have translated into results at Meredith town hall, and we all have been pleased with the outcome so far."
- Peter Gillette, Wittenberg Class of 2005

The most interesting part of this whole experience is learning a new style of governing.  Town management in New England is very different from the mayor-council method that I am used to in the midwest, and brings many new aspects to the management process.  The challenges of the internship are what you might expect from just about any internship.  Our projects--ranging from data gap analysis, to dog parks and Frisbee golf courses--each have their own obstacles, but in the long run they should be truly beneficial to the town of Meredith.
- Chase M. Cordial, Wittenberg Class of 2006

About the Program

The LGMI Program is a component of ICMA's Next Generation Strategy, and the Association has partnered with Springfield, Ohio's, Wittenberg University to market the program to potential host communities. The nine-week program combines an unpaid undergraduate internship with a class/seminar component.  Students from Wittenberg University are placed as interns in a host local government and given one or more projects to complete by the end of the program. Onsite Wittenberg faculty advise students on their projects and required coursework. In addition, students attend class two nights per week and participate in local government meetings.

Local governments interested in hosting a group of interns during the 2006 LGMI program year can learn more by visiting Wittenberg University's Web site, or contacting Rob Carty at ICMA at 202/962-3560 or rcarty@icma.org.