ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, welcomes Pennsylvania’s Villanova University to the ICMA Strategic Partner Program. Founded in 1842, Villanova offers a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree with a focus on values, ethics, and creative leadership that aligns with ICMA’s core mission and values. As partners, Villanova and ICMA will focus on encouraging the next generation of students to consider pursuing careers in the local government management profession.

“Villanova has been an active part of the ICMA community for some time, most recently through its participation in ICMA’s Life, Well Run public awareness campaign video contest,” said Executive Director Robert J. O’Neill, Jr.  “ICMA is fortunate to partner with an academic leader such as Villanova that is committed to preparing our future local government leaders. We look forward to working closely with them in the months and years ahead.”

In 2014, Villanova received first-place recognition by ICMA for their video, which was summited by Unitas, Villanova’s ICMA student chapter. The video aired during ICMA’s 100th Annual Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, in September 2014.

“We are thrilled to become a strategic partner with ICMA, especially with our ICMA student chapter winning the Life, Well Run video contest in 2014,” said Dr. Catherine Wilson, associate professor and interim chair of the Department of Public Administration at Villanova University. “Through this strategic partnership, Villanova’s MPA Program remains committed to finding ways to provide opportunities for our students to gain exposure to the field of local government and to become ethical and competent public administrators at the local level.”

ICMA’s Strategic Partner Program was created in 1996 as an access point for private sector participation in ICMA programs and activities. Strategic Partners have opportunities to assist professional local government managers by showcasing leading practice solutions and providing thought leadership.

About ICMA
ICMA, the International City/County Management Association advances professional local government management worldwide. Our mission is to create excellence in local governance by developing and advancing professional management to create sustainable communities that improve lives worldwide. ICMA provides member support; publications; data and information; peer and results-oriented assistance; and training and professional development to nearly 9,500 city, town, and county experts and other individuals and organizations throughout the world. The management decisions made by ICMA's members affect millions of individuals living in thousands of communities, from small villages and towns to large metropolitan areas.

About Villanova University
Villanova University was founded in 1842 by the Order of Saint Augustine. To this day, Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition is the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately, and succeed while serving others. The university’s rigorous academic experience, rooted in the liberal arts, forms an environment in which students and professors are partners in learning. Villanova University is located in a suburban community 12 miles west of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

About the Villanova University Master of Public Administration Program (MPA)
Villanova University’s Master of Public Administration program is a graduate degree program focused on providing students with the knowledge of values, roles, skills, and practices that will help them become competent professionals capable of ethical, intelligent, and creative leadership in public service. Fully accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), the Villanova MPA degree is offered in the traditional campus setting as well as online through our partnership with BISK Education. For more information about the degree, please visit www.publicadmin.villanova.edu for the campus program or www.villanovau.com/OnlineMPA for the online program.