The 2012-2013 election marks the debut of the new regional nominating process where six regional nominating committees replace the single ICMA Nominating Committee that has selected nominees for ICMA regional vice presidents in the past. The December 10, 2012, deadline for expressions of interest from candidates is fast approaching. Interviews and the selection of nominees will take place in conjunction with the 2013 regional summits. The election ballot period will be open May 23 to June 26, 2013.

All candidates are asked to provide ICMA with a statement of no more than two pages on their qualifications for the position and on their views of issues facing ICMA, along with a resume. All nomination materials, regardless of region, should be submitted to nominations@icma.org. Information will then be distributed to each of the regional nominating committees in advance of their regional summit, or in the case of the international region, prior to interviews conducted by phone.

The shift to regional nominating committees is a significant change for ICMA. Until now, a single nominating committee has had the responsibility for nominating well-qualified members who can best represent the diversity of the profession and its future. That responsibility and accountability now shifts to the regions. The ICMA Executive Board believes that this will provide a new opportunity to strengthen ties and shared ownership with state and affiliate associations. Full information on the nominations process is available here.

This will be a critical partnership for ICMA since the regional nominating committees will be selecting ICMA’s leadership – all vice presidents and therefore future ICMA presidents. Over many years, members have relied on the nominating committee to play that role as opposed to having a competitive process with active campaigning. The regional nominating committees will need to be fully engaged in considering the impact on ICMA as a whole as they carry out their responsibilities.

Six vice-president positions are open for nomination this year: one from each of the five U.S. regions, as well as one from the international region. In the U.S., at least one vice president from each region must occupy a position other than that of manager/chief executive officer (non-CEO). This year a non-CEO designated seat is open for nomination in the Midwest region. However, non-CEOs are eligible for consideration in all regions.

Each U.S. region has agreed on a geographical protocol that defines state rotations for each of the three regional vice-president seats. The international protocol identifies the northern hemisphere as the designated geographical region for this year. International affiliate organizations with eligible members have been contacted separately.

Candidates in the U.S, will participate in an interview to be held on Friday afternoon at the conclusion of the 2013 regional summit for their region:

Southeast: March 7-8 (Asheville, NC)

Northeast: March 21-22 (Portsmouth, NH)

Midwest: April 4-5 (Bloomington, MN)

West Coast: April 18-19 (Las Vegas, NV)

Mountain Plains: May 2-3 (Aurora, CO)