During Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW), May 6-12, 2018, traditional and social media will come alive with great stories about the outstanding contributions made by the men and women who serve America as local, state, and federal government employees.

Since 1985, PSRW has been the time set aside each year to educate constituents, family, and friends about the many ways in which government at all levels serves us and how local government in particular enhances the quality of life in our communities. This year’s theme is “Honoring Our Public Servants. Connecting Citizens with Their Government.”

To help you and your community celebrate, the Public Employees Roundtable (PER) has developed a toolkit that includes a 12-page How to Celebrate guide with suggested messaging, community outreach strategies, and other resources to help educate residents about the importance of public employees and the work that they do.

The PSRW toolkit also includes a White Board guide and two white board templates: (1) “Public servants make America better by…” or (2) I serve because…”.  Check out these white board examples on the PER Facebook page.

Don’t miss this opportunity to help your constituents understand the value that local government in general and professional local government management specifically bring to our communities! Read more about professional city, town, and county managers and other often-ignored public employees—such as police officers, teachers, or solid waste managers—who use their talents each day to improve the quality of life in their communities at ICMA’s newly revamped Life, Well Run website.

If you're thinking about career choices, the Life, Well Run site will tell you what it takes to become a professional local government manager and whether the career is right for you. If you're a veteran public servant, you'll find resources and tools you can use to educate and promote your community about the benefits of professional local government management. You can also click on the “Community Heroes” section of the site, where you can view a series of video profiles of the individuals who work with city, town, and county managers to deliver Life, Well Run.