ICMA is excited to announce Rachel Boward and Melissa Ochoa as the recipients of the 2026 Judy L. Kelsey Scholarship. Named in honor of Judy Lyn Kelsey, a pioneer of professional local government management and a long-time ICMA member, the scholarship is designed to support the professional development of the next generation of women leaders in local government. 

Each year, the scholarship is awarded to up to two fellows of ICMA’s Local Government Management Fellowship (LGMF) program, which places recent MPA/MPP graduates in full-time paid positions in local governments across the country.

Rachel and Melissa were both identified as emerging local government leaders through a review panel composed of LGMF program alumni. ICMA hopes they will continue to pursue a fulfilling career in public service and one day mentor the generation that comes next.

Rachel Boward

Rachel currently serves as an LGMF fellow with Loudoun County, Virginia, where she plays a vital role in enhancing local government operations. Since the start of her fellowship in July 2024, Rachel has worked across eight departments on more than 12 separate projects, working diligently to develop data-informed strategies, streamline processes, and advance initiatives that ensure inclusive, evidence-driven decision-making.

During her first rotation, Rachel drafted the 2024 International Business Attraction Strategy for the department of economic development, formulating 18 strategies backed by extensive data analysis and research. In her rotation with the legislative team, Rachel assisted in reviewing nearly 2,500 bills during the 2025 Virginia General Assembly session to support the county’s legislative priorities.

During her time with the department of library services, Rachel created and administered a secret shopper program across Loudoun’s 10 branch libraries, ultimately presenting an array of branch-specific and systemwide areas of strength and opportunity to the library director. She developed a formula with 12 key variables to optimize library staffing. Rachel also completed a rotation with the office of equity and inclusion, assisting with the formulation and tracking of departmental equity impact plans, including the creation of a new Power BI dashboard.

Rachel holds an MPA degree from the University of Connecticut, where she served as treasurer of UConn’s ICMA student chapter. During her first year, she completed a graduate assistantship focused on public budgeting research. In her second year, she interned with the town of Windsor, working on the creation and implementation of the Clean and Green Windsor spot adoption program, data analysis and visualization for possible implementation of speed and red light cameras, and finalization of Windsor’s FY 2025–30 capital improvement program.

Rachel is proud to be included among the ranks of past Judy L. Kelsey Scholarship recipients. The scholarship will assist her in continuing to pursue her mission to implement data-driven solutions to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and inclusivity of local governmental service provision. She is excited to apply the knowledge and skills she has gained during her fellowship as she continues to progress forward in her local government career and, hopefully, one day serve as a model and mentor to future women in local government.

Melissa Ochoa

Melissa is a dedicated public servant currently serving as the LGMF Fellow for Doña Ana County, New Mexico, where she focuses on improving operational processes and evaluating how departments contribute to both the organization and the broader community. In this role, she works at the intersection of strategy and service, ensuring that internal improvements translate into meaningful public impact. Her current projects reflect this balance: enhancing the human resources assessment process, analyzing departmental budget requests to ensure alignment with the county’s strategic priorities, designing and developing a youth commission for high school students, and establishing a local chapter of Women Leading Government. Through these efforts, Melissa aims to strengthen community relationships, increase transparency, and foster a collaborative workplace culture that supports innovation and growth.

Melissa’s path to local government began at the University of Arizona, where she earned both her bachelor’s degree and MPA. While in school, Melissa immersed herself in advocacy work with a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to higher education. For half of each year, she organized events and spoke with students about the importance of affordable colleges to build grassroots to support the organization’s mission. During the legislative session, her focus shifted to policy, and she spent months at the Arizona state capitol, meeting with legislators from both chambers to discuss bills affecting college affordability and student safety and success. These experiences deepened her understanding of how policy decisions shape people’s everyday lives.

After a year and a half in advocacy, Melissa transitioned into state government, joining the office of strategic planning and budgeting as a budget analyst. She gained firsthand insight into how public resources are allocated and how agency funding decisions ripple across communities, particularly at the municipal level. This experience became a turning point in her career. Seeing the tangible effects of budgeting on local services clarified her professional direction and solidified her commitment to working in local government, where she felt she could make the most direct and visible difference.

Beyond her professional responsibilities, Melissa is a passionate advocate for women pursuing careers in public service. When she learned about the Judy L. Kelsey Scholarship, she was inspired by its mission of women supporting women in local government leadership. Being selected as a recipient was both an honor and a motivation to continue striving toward excellence. In her application, she wrote, “I am determined not only to become a city or county manager, but to be a well-prepared, ethical, and effective one,” a statement that continues to guide her professional journey.

Melissa believes that the foundation of a meaningful career, especially in public service, is a commitment to learning, integrity, and continuous improvement. As she builds her experience, she remains focused on growing as a leader who values collaboration, thoughtful decision-making, and community trust. With a strong sense of purpose and a dedication to service, she looks forward to a long career contributing to effective, responsive local government.

Learn more about ICMA’s Local Government Management Fellowship program.

DAVID LANG is senior program manager of membership and career advancement at ICMA (dlang@icma.org).