HOLD FOR RELEASE:   October 25, 2017   
  
CONTACT:   Michele Frisby, Director, Public Information, mfrisby@icma.org; (202) 962-3658

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS—David Johnstone, city manager, Candiac, Quebec Canada, has been installed as president of ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, during the organization’s 103rd Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Having served as president-elect since September 2016, Mr. Johnstone now commences a one-year term as president and will remain on the board as past president for an additional year following his presidency.

ICMA’s mission is to advance professional local government worldwide through leadership, management, innovation, and ethics. The organization’s 11,000+ members from 32 countries include appointed chief administrative officers, assistant and deputy administrators, and other employees who serve local governments and regional entities around the world, as well as educators and students. 

“We are honored that David will lead the ICMA Executive Board as our 2017-18 president-elect,” said ICMA Executive Director Marc A. Ott. “The individuals who serve on our board are outstanding leaders, not only in their own communities, but also in the field of professional local government management. They are committed to moving our association and our profession forward, and we appreciate the time, energy, enthusiasm, and thoughtfulness that David and the other members of the board each bring to ICMA”

As president, Mr. Johnstone will lead ICMA’s 21-member board and executive director to establish the organization’s direction, oversee its management, represent it to state and national associations of local government management, and maintain relationships among affiliate organizations. The ICMA Executive Board also selects the organization’s president and enforces its Code of Ethics, which governs the professional and personal conduct of members. ICMA Executive Board members attend four meetings annually.                                         

Mr. Johnstone’s commitment to professional local government management spans nearly 35 years. “We work in a very noble profession,” he said recently during an orientation session at ICMA headquarters in Washington, D.C. “And I want all ICMA members to feel proud about the work that we do and the enormity of the impact we can have on the lives of ordinary people.”

Mr. Johnstone began his career in local government as assistant to the manager of the town of Hampstead, Quebec, where he served from 1981 to 1986.  He served as city manager in several Canadian local governments, including the towns of Roxboro, Kirkland, Chandler, Candiac, and Hampstead. He was borough manager of Côte Saint-Luc/Hampstead/Montreal West in the city of Montreal from 2002 to 2005. From 2006 to 2010, Mr. Johnstone was principal with a private consulting firm. He accepted his current position as city manager of Candiac, a community that has focused on reducing its carbon footprint in all recent developments, in 2010.

Mr. Johnstone has been a member of ICMA since 1983 and initially was elected to the ICMA Executive Board as an International Vice President in 2011. He has been a member of ICMA’s International Committee since 2014 and also served on the association’s Conference Planning (2003-04 and 2004-05) and Conference Host (2008-09) Committees. He received an ICMA Service Award in recognition of his 30 years of service to local government in 2013.

An active member of the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) since 1992, Mr. Johnstone served on the CAMA board and as president (2002-03). He has also been involved in the Quebec City Manager’s Association (ADGMQ) and the Quebec Municipal Officers Association (COMAQ).

Mr. Johnstone received a Bachelor of Science from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia in 1977 and specialized in public administration in the Master’s Program at the University of Montreal (1978-80).

About ICMA
ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, advances professional local government worldwide through leadership, management, innovation, and ethics. ICMA provides member support, publications, data and information, peer and results-oriented assistance, and training and professional development to more than 11,000 appointed city, town, and county leaders and other individuals and organizations throughout the world.