The Bob Turner Scholars Internship Program is a career-development opportunity with a focus on mentorship designed to attract high school students to local government. By partnering with local governments and the manager’s office, the program offers an internship experience that not only demonstrates a nuts and bolts understanding of what managers do, but how they do it—the core values that guide their management practices and inform their decisions.
Former ICMA member James Kean began his career working as an intern for E. Robert "Bob" Turner, while he was city manager of Boulder, Colorado. He believes that the lessons he learned from his mentor Bob Turner prepared him for a successful career and a life of integrity and passion. Kean established a $750,000 endowment in Bob Turner’s name to ensure students have the opportunity to serve a local government as interns under the guidance of ICMA member mentors.
These local governments are participating in our second pilot program: Douglasville, Georgia; Salinas, California; Wauwatosa, Wisconsin; Mineral County Commission, West Virginia; Elk Grove, Illinois; State College, Pennsylvania; Moline, Illinois; Anna, Texas; and Mountain Brook, Alabama.
Read below to learn more about the interns that are participating in this summer's program!
Theodore “Theo” Baker|Douglasville
Theo is from Douglasville, Georgia, and will be interning with the city this summer. Excited about the networking opportunities and eager to learn about business operations and resource utilization,Theo also wants to improve their presentation and public speaking skills.Theo recently graduated and will be attending Texas A&M University in the fall to study Business Administration. Theo plan to work in the field of business and their interests are sports and cooking.
Juan Camacho|Salinas
Juan is an incoming junior, and he will be interning with Salinas, California, this summer. He is hoping to further his understanding of local government and to further improve his communication and team skills. Juan is passionate about community service and the environment. He’s a vegetarian and coffee enthusiast. Juan is excited about pursuing law and becoming a lawyer in the future.
Fatima Castaneda| Salinas
Fatima is from Salinas, California, and she will be interning with the city this summer. She’s eager to learn more about Salinas, contribute to community programs, and understand local government functions. Fatima also hopes to gain a better understanding on how to be actively involved in her community through various engagement strategies. In her free time, she enjoys family time and outdoor activities. Fatima plans to pursue a political science degree, driven by her interest in information analysis and government work.
Owen Colvin | Wauwatosa
Owen is from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and he will be interning this summer with the city. He looks forward to learning about what goes on behind the scenes when running a city, and how to operate in a professional field with many coworkers. Owen hopes to gain a deeper understanding of teamwork and knowledge about local government. In his free time, he loves to play soccer and spend time with his family and friends. Owen plans to attend college and possibly attend law school.
Ashlynn Crowe| Mineral County Commission
Ashlynn will be interning this summer with Mineral County Commission in West Virginia. She looks forward to learning about state and local government and hopes to gain work experience and leadership skills. Ashlynn recently graduated as valedictorian from Frankfort High School, and she plans to pursue a career as a pathologist.
Daisy Guerrero | Salinas
Daisy is from Salinas, California, and she will be interning with the city this summer. She looks forward to getting a better understanding of her local government and engaging in her community. Daisy also hopes to gain adaptability and time management skills. In her spare time she likes to bake, volunteer at her local hospital, and take her dogs for walks. Daisy plans on going into the dermatology or the emergency medicine field.
Jacob Maxwell| Elk Grove Village
Jacob is from Elk Grove Village, Illinois, and he will be interning this summer with the village. Jacob is looking forward to getting hands-on experience and to gain practical business experience that will benefit his college studies and future career. Jacob is interested in the business world and business operations. He plans to pursue his bachelor's degree in finance with an accounting or economics minor.
Nusaibah Nubah | State College
Nusaibah moved to the United States from Bangladesh. She is a rising senior and will be interning this summer with State College, Pennsylvania. Nusaibah hopes to learn about the importance of local government and the different ways she can help her community. She is looking forward to working with the DEIB department, which promotes inclusivity and acceptance in her community. She enjoys playing guitar, writing music and poetry, and participating in speech and debate. In the future, Nusaibah hopes to pursue pre-law studies with a focus on human rights advocacy.
Mariana Perez| Wauwatosa
Mariana is from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and she will be interning with the city this summer. Mariana aims to understand her local government’s operations and community concerns. She’s excited to work on a waste analysis project to enhance the city’s environmental practices and gain experience in policy-driven environmental action. In her spare time, Mariana enjoys soccer, playing the viola and guitar, reading, and outdoor activities. She plans to study political science and psychology, with minors in Spanish and creative writing in college. Her future goals include attending law school, practicing law, and establishing a nonprofit focused on environmental issues.
Sayid Sirojev | Moline
Sayid is from Moline, Illinois, and he will be interning this summer with the city. He looks forward to the opportunity to learn more about his local government, aspiring to become an informed and proactive citizen in the future. In his spare time, he enjoys playing disc golf and has an interest in programming. Sayid plans to attend his local university and learn and achieve as much as he can.
Claire Stonitsch| Elk Grove Village
Claire is from Mount Prospect, Illinois, and will be interning this summer with Elk Grove. Claire is excited to get to work with a lot of different people and departments in the village and get to see how a village functions. She is also looking to get an idea of what her life would be like in the future should she choose to pursue a career in government. In the fall, she’ll study public affairs and Spanish at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and join the university’s marching band. In her free time, Claire enjoys outdoor activities, reading, playing the clarinet, and traveling.
Jacinda Ussery | Anna
Jacinda is from Anna, Texas, and she will be interning this summer with the city. She’s excited to collaborate with the city’s team and contribute to her community, aiming to understand local government operations. In her spare time, she enjoys crocheting and spending time with her cat. Jacinda will study music business with a focus on songwriting at Dallas Baptist University this fall.
Natalie Vasquez| Salinas
Natalie is from Salinas, California, and she will be interning with the city this summer. She’s eager to understand the efforts and departments involved in policy creation and implementation at the local government level. Natalie hopes to gain insights into city departments, their roles in city improvement, and enhance her leadership and social skills. In her spare time, Natalie plays the piano, reads, and draws. She also likes to learn new skills. Natalie plans to go to college and to major in political science, on the pre-law track, with an end goal of becoming a human rights attorney.
Emmett Walker | Mountain Brook
Emmett is from Birmingham, Alabama, and will be interning this summer with Mountain Brook. He looks forward to doing something useful and productive this summer and this internship checks those boxes. In his spare time, he enjoys community pop-up events, camping, and has a strong interest in music, math, and physics. As for his future, he’s still exploring his options.
Interested in learning more about hosting a Bob Turner Intern in your community? Email careers@icma.org.
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