As a thought leader, ICMA is committed to creating and supporting thriving communities. As part of this commitment, ICMA has created—in partnership with the Kettering Foundation and the National Civic League—the Leadership Institute on Race, Equity, and Inclusion.

The institute supports the ICMA Executive Board’s statement regarding systemic racism, and more specifically the commitment to: “Engage our members and partners in a process of listening to understand what our profession needs in order to deliver on the work of our mission and vision through the lens of equity and inclusion.”

The institute will take local government participants on a 12-to-18-month journey of interactive learning, networking with colleagues, and engaging discussions of the key leadership issues surrounding racial equity.

Join us in welcoming these participants who have been selected as the fellows of the 2025 Cohort:

DAMEIN P. BAITY, chief financial officer, Birmingham Public Library, Birmingham, Alabama

ANGELA BOWERS, program management officer, Atlanta Fire Rescue Department, Atlanta, Georgia

PAULA DEBOLES-JOHNSON, human resources manager, Leon County, Florida

CESAR GARCIA, city manager, La Marque, Texas

TERESA T. JOHNSON, deputy public services director, Kalamazoo, Michigan

ELIZABETH JOURDIN, HR manager – Equity & Organizational Effectiveness, Washoe County, Nevada

MYJA LARK, senior performance advisor, Mesa, Arizona

TYSON T. MITCHELL, director of the Mayor’s Office of Equal Opportunity, Cleveland, Ohio

ZOE MOMBERT, assistant to the city manager, Wilsonville, Oregon

MARILYN NGUYEN, equity and inclusion officer, Spartanburg, South Carolina

JESSE REGALA PARAN, HHS chief assistant director / chief operating officer, Marin County, California

ALLISON PARKER, organizational development manager - community relations, Douglasville, Georgia

TOMICA RANSAW, administrator, King County Public Health, Seattle/King County/Washington

PHILENA A. SELDON, assistant administrator/manager of education and outreach, Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, Cleveland, Ohio

JAWARIA TAREEN, deputy city manager, Farmers Branch, Texas

MARCUS WHITE, project manager, Fairfax, Virginia

CHRIS WILLIAMS, management analyst, Fayetteville, North Carolina

ICMA is committed to mitigating the effects of bias in the profession, ensuring that ICMA membership is inclusive and mirrors the diversity in communities, and making certain that local government professionals can look to ICMA for tools and resources to assist in their own community equity programming.  To learn more about ICMA’s commitment to Race, Equity, and Social Justice, visit the website.