As a thought leader, ICMA is committed to creating and supporting thriving communities. As part of this commitment, ICMA has created— in partnership with the Kettering Foundation and the National Civic League—the Leadership Institute on Race, Equity, and Inclusion.

The institute supports the ICMA Executive Board’s statement regarding systemic racism, and more specifically, the commitment to “engage our members and partners in a process of listening to understand what our profession needs in order to deliver on the work of our mission and vision through the lens of equity and inclusion.”

The institute takes local government participants on a 12- to 18-month journey of interactive learning, networking with colleagues, and engaging discussions of the key leadership issues surrounding racial equity.

ICMA is committed to mitigating the effects of bias in the profession, ensuring that ICMA membership is inclusive and mirrors the diversity in communities, and making certain that local government professionals can look to ICMA for tools and resources to assist in their own community equity programming. Learn more about ICMA’s commitment to race, equity, and social justice here.

Join us in welcoming these participants who have been selected as the 2025 fellows:

Damein P. Baity, MBA

Chief Financial Officer
City of Birmingham Public Library
Birmingham, Alabama

Angela Bowers

Program Management Officer
City of Atlanta Fire Rescue Department
Atlanta, Georgia

Paula Deboles-Johnson, MPA, CCM

Human Resources Manager
Leon County Government
Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida

Cesar Garcia

City Manager
La Marque, Texas

Teresa T. Johnson, MSM, CPPB

Deputy Public Services Director
Department of Public Services
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Elizabeth Jourdin

HR Manager – Equity & Organizational Effectiveness
Washoe County, NV

Myja Lark

Senior Performance Advisor 
City of Mesa, Arizona (Maricopa County)

Tyson T. Mitchell, JD/LL.M 

Director of the Mayor’s Office of Equal Opportunity 
Cleveland, Ohio

Zoe Mombert

Assistant to the City Manager
Wilsonville, Oregon

Marilyn Nguyen

Equity and Inclusion Officer
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Jesse Regala Paran

HHS Chief Assistant Director / Chief Operating Officer
County of Marin, Health and Human Services Department
Marin County, California

Allison Parker

Organizational Development Manager
Douglasville, Georgia

Tomica Ransaw

Administrator
King County Public Health
Seattle/King County, Washington

Philena A. Seldon

Assistant Administrator/Manager of Education and Outreach
City of Cleveland - Mayor’s Office of Sustainability
Cuyahoga County , Cleveland, Ohio

Jawaria Tareen

Deputy City Manager 
Farmers Branch, Texas

Marcus White

Project Manager
Fairfax, Virgina

Chris Williams

Management Analyst
Fayetteville, NC