The ICMA Executive Board met in Arlington, Virginia, November 6-9, 2014 and took the following actions:

• Engaged in strategic discussions on topics of importance to the Association and to the profession.  The November/December Board meeting each year focuses on a few strategic issues. The topics for this meeting focused on recommendations presented to the board in September from two task forces: the Task Force on Women in the Profession and the Task Force on Leadership and on the future direction of the Life, Well Run campaign.  The board also reviewed exploration to date of the recommendations from the Task Force on Financing ICMA presented to the board in September 2013. (The full reports from these task forces are available on the web site.) These discussions were part of a priority-setting exercise on all ICMA activities in order to provide guidance to staff for the remainder of FY2015 and for the development of the FY2016 budget which the board will approve in June 2015.  Key decisions from the exercise:

-  Reaffirmed support for the Life, Well Run (LWR) campaign and approved continued dedication of staff time and resources at the current level - managing expenses to the level of funding in hand - for soliciting contributions from members and corporate funders and for developing new resources. 

In 2009, ICMA began implementing the Life, Well Run campaign, the goal of which is to raise awareness of and appreciation for the role that professional managers play in delivering community services ethically, efficiently, and effectively. The current target audiences for this campaign are elected officials, students, and civic leaders. Since 2009, a number of tactics have been pursued to achieve the campaign goal. More than $1.25 million in gifts and pledges have been raised from state associations, members, and corporate sponsors. Those funds have been used to develop web-based content—videos, brochures, presentations, templates, etc.—and to drive target audiences to those materials to learn more. A content-rich website, www.lifewellrun.org, has received more than 250,000 page views since July 2013.

-  Chose not to pursue further exploration of a population based group membership rate at this time.  Recommendations from the Task Force on Financing ICMA in September 2013 included recommendations to address the dues structure for current members and to attract the next generation by shifting from salary-based to flat-rate dues for department heads and by establishing a population based group membership rate for those who work in local government, retaining the individual membership structure.  The shift to $200 flat-rate dues was approved by the board and will take effect with the July 2015 dues cycle. Also in September 2013, the board approved further exploration and testing of the population based dues rate.  To be successful and revenue neutral, ICMA would need to attract jurisdictions that currently do not have any members and retain those jurisdictions that would see an increase.

Exploration to date of the population based dues rate, including a non-member survey and member responses to a white paper has produced mostly unfavorable feedback. Considering broader implications of changing the dues structure and the demands of other priorities, the board decided not to explore this particular recommendation further. Instead, the board chose to build on the success of growing the membership through the personalized state by state recruitment strategy that had just begun when the Task Force did their work. The board believes that this effort, along with the new department head rate, has the potential to achieve the Task Force’s goal of attracting the next generation of members.  The board also emphasized the importance of continuing to hone the value proposition of belonging to ICMA, especially for those from small communities. The upcoming strategic planning process will also provide an opportunity to review the Task Force recommendations. 

-  Discussed the recommendations from the Task Force on Women in the Profession and expressed appreciation for the extensive research and effort contributed by Task Force members in developing their report.  The board emphasized the critical importance of attracting talent to local government and then developing that talent for senior level positions.  The board also recognized that there are unique challenges for some individual segments, such as women, that need and deserve special attention and should be addressed over time.  In order to move this forward, the board asked Pat Martel, ICMA President-elect, to work with a representative of the board’s Membership and External Outreach Committee and with a few Task Force members to develop actionable recommendations, noting those that apply more broadly to the goal of attracting talent to local government and those that apply particularly to women.  This can also provide an opportunity to integrate certain recommendations into the upcoming strategic planning process.

-  Discussed the recommendations from the Task Force on Leadership and expressed strong support for making leadership development a fundamental pillar for ICMA along with ethics. There was also interest in the development of an ICMA leadership curriculum. The board thought that some recommendations would be appropriate to integrate into the strategic planning process and agreed that the timeframe for others would be assessed by staff in the development of the FY2016 budget and financial plan. 

• Approved proposed language to change Tenet 12 based on member feedback.  The current Tenet 12 states “Seek no favor; believe that personal aggrandizement or profit secured by confidential information or by misuse of public time is dishonest.”  The Tenet 12 review launched in March with opportunities for members to comment in an online discussion board, at the five U.S. regional summits, and at various state and affiliate association meetings.  In addition, the Emerging Local Government Leaders promoted the opportunity to comment on line to their members. 

 Based on the responses, the Committee on Professional Conduct (CPC) concluded that the language of the Tenet should be refreshed and that several modifications of the guidelines should be considered. The Committee drafted two options for revising the Tenet language, made amendments to existing guidelines, and drafted a new guideline on social media.  The membership was asked for feedback on the draft changes via a survey launched in late July. Over 1,240 members responded and offered comments. The following new language for the Tenet was selected by 68% of respondents and was approved by the board:  “Public office is a public trust. A member should not leverage his or her position for gain or benefit.” 

 Since amendments to the Tenets require membership approval, the membership will be asked to approve this language in an online ballot in March. The CPC will then finalize changes to the guidelines which are approved by the board. 

• Approved the composition and charge for a new Strategic Planning Task Force. The current Strategic Plan was adopted by the board in 2008. Volunteers will be solicited from board members and through the ICMA Leadership Matters newsletter in January 2015 and will be appointed in March 2015.  The goal will be to generate a sufficiently diverse pool of candidates from which to select a representative task force of approximately 40 members. Potential task force members will be asked to explain why they wish to participate and what they believe they could bring to the process.  The Task Force will conduct its first meeting in May/June 2015 and present its recommendations to the board in December 2016.
  
  
• Reviewed the first quarter financial reports for FY2015.  Membership and professional development areas are on target to meet budget, but new funding has not yet been received for the international programs supported by federal grants and contracts, so budgeted results may not be achieved. Although several proposals are in the pipeline, there are uncertainties regarding the timing of new awards. 
  
  
• Received a report on the Center for State and Local Government Excellence which conducts research on issues such as workforce trends, retirement plans and pensions to help state and local governments attract and retain talented public servants.
  
  
• Approved General Management recognition for the manager/CAO position in the following local government:  South Carolina: City of Westminster, Jeffrey Lord (City Administrator).