On October 1, 2021, the ICMA Executive Board met at the Hyatt Regency Portland, where the 2020-2021 board was joined by incoming board members Pamela Antil, Scott Colby Jr., Corri Spiegel, Valmarie Turner, and incoming President-elect Jeffrey Towery. Incoming board member Rebecca Ryan of New South Wales, Australia joined the meeting by phone, and incoming board member Kenneth Williams was unable to attend the meeting.

Here is a rundown of the board’s most significant actions:

Executive Director’s Report

ICMA Executive Director Marc Ott provided the board with updates on major ICMA initiatives, including:

• ICMA’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiatives.
• ICMA’s 2022 Regional Conferences.
• ICMA’s Professional Development Programs.
• ICMA’s Research and Technical Assistance Programs.

Update on Membership Dues Structure Review Project

In November 2020, ICMA hired McKinley Advisors to help the association obtain member feedback and develop a new dues model that will allow ICMA to both build membership and be financially sustainable, while providing value to members. In February 2021, the consultant performed a comprehensive survey of more than 30,000 individuals, including members, nonmembers, and lapsed members, to provide feedback on the dues structure and value proposition of ICMA membership. The work has now begun to fine-tune options for a dues model, which will be presented to the board’s Membership and Finance Committees in late 2021 before a final recommendation is made to the board.

Update on Code of Ethics Review Effort

As part of the ICMA Executive Board’s statement on systemic racism issued in June 2020, the board made a commitment to “revisit the Code of Ethics to better integrate our ethical commitment to racial justice and equity into the very fiber of the 12 tenets.” In May 2021, ICMA engaged the School of Government at the University of North Carolina to assist in the efforts to objectively assess the Code. The school’s assessment includes a survey of ICMA’s membership to gauge ways to strengthen the Code’s commitment to equity and social justice and the ethical responsibility of members to serve the best interests of everyone living in their communities; and facilitation of a series of member discussions both in person in Portland and virtually. The school will prepare a report for the board’s Committee on Professional Conduct summarizing recommended changes to the ICMA Code of Ethics in late 2022.

Report on FY 2021 Preliminary Year-End Financial Results

ICMA Chief Financial Officer Sabina Agarunova provided the board with an update on the association’s FY 2021 preliminary year-end financial results.

The development of the FY 2021 budget occurred during the early onset and spread of the global COVID-19 pandemic. This unprecedented event had caused a high degree of uncertainty relative to all of ICMA’s revenue sources, including membership dues, revenues generated from the annual conference and other professional development offerings, grants and contracts, and sponsorships. To mitigate the adverse impact of the pandemic, in April 2020 ICMA applied for and received federal assistance in the form of a $1.8 million loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of the CARES Act. In February 2021, ICMA was notified that the loan was forgiven by the SBA in its entirety.

 

ICMA continued operating with a conservative posture throughout FY 2021, given the long-term nature and pervasiveness of the pandemic and its economic impact on various sectors, including local governments and nonprofits. ICMA’s resources continue to be deployed strategically to focus on programs and activities that provide the most value and make the most impact for our members and other stakeholders, as well as other important priorities, particularly those that have been identified by the board.

The FY 2021 budget assumed an operating deficit of approximately $1.7 million, to be mitigated through the additional revenue resulting from the PPP loan forgiveness. The overall FY 2021 budget assumed a break-even net result. Based on the preliminary (unaudited) financial statements, FY 2021 resulted in a net contribution of $1,768,621.

Changes to the Distinguished Service Awards Nomination Application Process

The Distinguished Service Award is one of two annual awards whose recipients are chosen by the ICMA Executive Board. This award has drawn greater attention in recent years due to the increasing number of eligible members, with the volume and range of materials varying greatly among nomination applications. In an effort to ensure a more level playing field, the Membership Committee proposed a number of changes to provide clarity in the instructions given to nominators, as well as clarifying that it is impermissible for executive board members or ICMA staff to submit letters of support for nominees.

Update on Board Committee Workplans

The chairs of each of the board’s four standing committees (Audit, Finance, and Business Operations; Global Vision and Collaboration; Membership and External Outreach; and Committee on Professional Conduct) provided reports to the board regarding their progress toward accomplishing the goals set forth in their 2020-2021 committee workplans.

Presentation on Global Engagement

The board was joined by ICMA’s new managing director for Global Engagement Alexandre Bouche, as well as Francisco Gomez, CEO of Factum Global, the consultant ICMA has engaged to assist with its global market development process. The presentation included the results of a survey sent to ICMA’s international stakeholders to identify opportunities for programming, products, and services in non-U.S regions of the world.