headshot of marc ott, icma executive director and ceo

Dear Colleagues:

It is my pleasure to present you with the second in my series of updates on ICMA activities. There is much exciting news to share!

Executive Board-International Committee Meeting in Israel

In February, the ICMA Executive Board and International Committee held a successful International Regional Conference in Tel Aviv, Israel. The event took place in conjunction with the Muni World 2018 Conference sponsored by ICMA’s Israeli affiliate, the Federation of Local Authorities. During the trip, we learned and shared knowledge about cybersecurity, urban innovation, and city planning, among other topics—information that our board and International Committee members brought back to inform their work on behalf of their residents. I want to give special recognition to ICMA staff member Amber Snowden, who took the lead in organizing the complicated meeting logistics for us.    


New ICMA Midwest Regional Director

I am pleased to announce that Cheryl Hilvert is the new Midwest Regional Director for ICMA. Cheryl brings with her a unique portfolio of experience and engagement that will prove invaluable in her new position. Over the years, she has developed connections with members throughout the region as a volunteer on ICMA committees and task forces, an ICMA University instructor, an ICMA Regional Vice President, and an active member of and board representative to the Alliance for Innovation. Cheryl also served on the OCCMA board as a member and president and worked for ICMA several years ago as director of our Center for Management Strategies.


ICMA Participates in South by Southwest

As part of our strategy to diversify our outreach beyond the traditional audience segments, ICMA sponsored the opening “Coffee Breaks” at the South by Southwest (SxSW) Cities Summit on March 12 and 13 in Austin, Texas. I am excited to have had this opportunity to share the great work that we are doing with a broader audience.

The SxSW Cities Summit involved two days of dynamic programming, performances, pop-up exhibits, and events exploring the future of our cities. It was an opportunity for civic leaders and creative urbanists of all disciplines to come together to learn, strategize, and form coalitions designed to transform the cities of tomorrow.


ICMA University Catalog

At the ICMA Annual Conference in San Antonio, we launched a comprehensive 2017-18 catalog to serve as a roadmap for ICMA University leadership and professional development programs. The catalog includes career-stage guide checklists, program descriptions, and a discussion of key benefits of attending ICMA events. It is distributed in new member packets and at ICMA University events, and members and nonmembers can also download a copy from the ICMA website. The catalog will be updated each year.

I want to recognize the efforts of Samantha Wagner from our Outreach Team for taking the lead on creating this valuable resource with support from Amanda Relyea, Rick Aronhalt, Felicia Logan, and Nedra James of ICMA’s Professional Development Team.  


ICMA Office Space

We have entered into an agreement with Jones Lang Lasalle Brokerage, Inc. (JLL).  JLL is a commercial real estate services and investment management firm that will help us evaluate various real estate options and realize our “best-in-class” vision for office space, while maximizing our financial return. During phase one of this project, we will conduct an assessment of our workplace strategy, identify financing strategies, and develop a strategic real estate plan. Before entering into the implementation phase of the project, we will provide an update to the board at its June meeting.


ICMA Core Values Recognized

ICMA was named a recipient of the CEOReport’s Washington, DC, 2018 Corporate Culture Award. We are proud of this award, particularly since it relates to our current organization-wide discussions around ICMA’s values and culture.


White Paper on 21st Century Fire Services

Using the 21st Century Policing Report as a model, ICMA is developing a white paper on 21st century fire services, which will analyze the societal, technological, economic, and political factors facing the fire service today. The goal of this project is to bring active local government management and fire department experts together to chart a course for modern fire service. This unique collaboration will result in recommendations that will enable fire service to better meet the increasing expectations of the public, become more transparent, make decisions based on hard data, and promote a culture that can adapt quickly and innovate creatively.  

A facilitation and project management firm will guide the project with support from ICMA and the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE). Former ICMA President Pat Martel and a CPSE member will serve as the project co-chairs.  


New Learning Management System

In May 2018, ICMA will shift from a webinar technology platform to a new, state-of-the-art learning management system that will support our online certificate programs, e-courses, and webinars. Due to the downtime needed to make the transition and major competition for webinar staff’s time, no webinars will be offered in April. We will launch the “Effective Supervisory Practices” webinar series on May 2 using the new platform, and new modules of the Local Government 101 online certificate program will go live in June. A complimentary Open House Webinar featuring a report on the recent ICMA Salary Survey is scheduled for May 1. 

I hope you found this update informative. As always, feel free to contact me at executivedirector@icma.org, if you have questions.

Sincerely,

 

Marc A. Ott
Executive Director, ICMA

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