Beginning in November 2024, the ICMA Executive Board began conducting monthly virtual meetings in addition to its regular quarterly in-person meetings to allow for more frequent and timely discussions on critical issues impacting ICMA and its membership, ensuring that the board can effectively advance the important work on behalf of our members. Here is a summary of the major actions undertaken by the board during its November and December 2024 virtual meetings:

CEO/Executive Director Recruitment Process.  At both the November and December monthly virtual meetings, the board received updates from its search committee on the recruitment process for ICMA’s next CEO/executive director. Finalists will be interviewed in-person during the board’s January 2025 quarterly meeting, and board members are confident they will be able to identify the new CEO/executive director from that finalist pool.  

Presidential Travel. ICMA President Tanya Ange shared her plans to engage with members and partners face-to-face to inform ICMA Executive Board decision-making. Meeting with ICMA members and partners is a key priority for President Ange, who  plans to attend ICMA’s Denver and Milwaukee Local Government Reimagined Conferences, the Local Government Hispanic Network and National Forum for Black Public Administrators annual conferences, and state association conferences in North Carolina, Colorado, Minnesota, Florida, Texas, and Oregon. 

Hurricane Recovery Action Team.  ICMA’s Southeast regional director Randall Reid and manager of public policy and special projects Amber Snowden updated the board on ICMA's Hurricane Recovery Action team, which was established in the wake of Hurricanes Milton and Helene to develop content to support members in their response to current and future natural disasters. In partnership with FEMA, FCCMA, and NCCCMA, ICMA will be hosting a series of free virtual "Just-in-Time Recovery Management Trainings" to assist both those impacted by recent hurricanes and those who want to ensure that they are prepared to guide their communities through recovery from a potential disaster. These events will be held on January 21 and January 28.

ICMA Europe.  ICMA Europe managing director Peter Agh and managing director of global engagement Isabelle Bully-Omictin provided an overview of ICMA Europe’s accomplishments and plans for its future. ICMA Europe hosts an annual summit, with the most recent (2024) held in Hasselt, Belgium. ICMA is in the process of issuing an RFI to help understand its current brand recognition in the European market and target market potential. The goal is for ICMA Europe to more strategically position ICMA’s brand in Europe by aligning ICMA’s presence, reach, and relationships in the region with ICMA’s global operating model, relationship model, and overall global engagement strategy.

Public Censure Notification Process.  The board approved a recommendation from the Committee on Professional Conduct regarding public censure notifications as required in the Rules of Procedure for Enforcement of the Code. The board voted  to notify members of public censures via email and will no longer post them to the ICMA website. The board’s decision aligns with the intent of the public censure notification process to maintain accountability by informing the appropriate parties of the board’s determination, while allowing those sanctioned to learn from the experience through strengthening their commitment to ethical principles.

2026 International Board Meeting. The ICMA Executive Board holds an international meeting once every three years. The last international board meeting was held in the Philippines in March 2023. At the December virtual meeting, staff shared a proposal to hold the 2026 international board meeting in Dublin, Ireland, in partnership with the County and City Management Association (CCMA) of Ireland. ICMA recently signed a strategic alliance agreement with CCMA-Ireland and there is great interest on the part of Irish chief executives to engage with ICMA members. Additionally, there are many historical links and current exchanges between counties and cities in Ireland and the United States. The proposed dates for the 2026 international board meeting are March 22-26, 2026.

Interview Questions for 2025 Regional Nominating Committees.  The board approved the slate of interview questions that will be used by each of ICMA’s Regional Nominating Committees as they interview candidates who apply to serve as their region’s nominee for regional vice president on the 2025 annual election ballot. 

Member Task Forces and Committees. The board approved the Membership and External Outreach Committee’s recommended slate of member committees and task forces to be included in the 2025 Call for Volunteers. No new member committees or task forces were proposed this year. 

The executive board’s next meeting will be held January 16-17, 2025, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Their primary business will be to conduct in-person interviews with finalists for the CEO/executive director position.