Public Management (PM) begins 2026 with a topic that speaks directly to the heart of who we are as professional local government managers — leadership.

I hope you will think about your own development needs for the coming year and how you can prepare yourself for the challenges we face in local government. In 2026, ICMA is offering several new events and bringing back programs our members have historically enjoyed.

Leadership Programs 

The Williamsburg Leadership Institute is back, and we will offer two cohorts of the Gettysburg Institute. We had twice as many applications for the next cohort of Leadership ICMA as we have capacity for—we know you are eager for this cohort-based programming. Our team is retooling the 2025 experience to ensure that we build on success and change features to adapt to member feedback. We will look at how we can support additional cohorts while ensuring a smaller group experience for participants moving forward. 

We are filling key vacancies on our own professional development team at ICMA to ensure we are staffed to support your training and professional development needs. There is definitely “more to come” as 2026 begins.

Local Government Reimagined 

Our innovation brand—Local Government Reimagined (LGR)—has been tailor made to address two significant areas in which you’ve asked for support. ICMA will host two LGR events in 2026. Artificial intelligence will be featured in Orlando, April 8–10; and civility, with a focus on democracy and the public trust, will be the focus in Philadelphia, May 13–15. Registration is open for these major events at lgr.icma.org.

A Day with ICMA 

We are also piloting three new, smaller gatherings called “A Day With ICMA,” where ICMA leadership will come together with members to discuss “Disruptive Trends and Adaptive Challenges.” We will gather in Phoenix, Arizona; Issaquah, Washington; and Lawrence, Kansas, to connect, share, and listen to your hopes for the profession and our organization.

All of this is designed to equip you to lead in the current context. What got us where we are today will not keep us here, and it’s important to do the work to prepare yourself to meet these challenges.

The Credentialed Manager Program 

The final activity I will mention is the work the Credentialing Advisory Board has been doing to improve the Credentialed Manager program. The ICMA-CM designation distinguishes our members who have both substantial lived experience as generalists and a commitment to ongoing personal/professional development to ensure they are prepared to address adaptive leadership challenges. 

In addition to enhancing the credentialed manager program experience, we are introducing two events exclusively for ICMA credentialed managers. In August 2026, we will offer two Credentialed Manager Summits where members with the ICMA-CM designation can gather with peers, discuss their learning journey, and engage in leadership development and training with committed colleagues.

As you consider your own professional development goals for 2026, I hope the range of courses offered by ICMA will effectively address the training needs for both you and others within your organization.

JULIA D. NOVAK, ICMA-CM, is executive director of ICMA.