Former chief financial officer (CFO) Uma Ramesh was appointed chief operating officer (COO) of ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, in June 2013. Ms. Ramesh will serve in the dual role of COO/CFO until a new financial officer is hired.  

ICMA’s mission is to create excellence in local governance by promoting professional management worldwide and increasing the proficiency of appointed chief administrative officers, assistant administrators, and other employees who serve local governments and regional entities around the world. The organization represents nearly 9,500 members from 26 countries.

“I am excited that Uma has accepted the position of chief operating officer,” said ICMA Executive Director Robert J. O’Neill, Jr. “She has excelled as CFO and has earned the trust of the Executive Board, members, and staff. She brings an in-depth knowledge of ICMA and an enthusiasm for the work of local government.”

 As COO, Ms. Ramesh provides day-to-day oversight of ICMA’s operations and leads a seven-member leadership team responsible for all of ICMA’s business lines, including membership, professional development, international programs, U.S. programs, and information, plus such support functions as marketing and communications, facilities, finance, HR, and IT. Ms. Ramesh has extensive knowledge of the financial and programmatic implications of these business lines and their contributions to ICMA’s mission.        

As ICMA’s CFO, Ms. Ramesh holds responsibility for ICMA’s financial management, recommends long-term reserve goals for the organization, leads and coordinates the annual budget process, works with ICMA’s finance and audit committees and external auditors, implements cost allocation standards, and is responsible for the investment of ICMA’s cash reserves and endowment fund balances.

“I am excited about this opportunity to take the strategic vision and direction set by the ICMA Executive Board, to operationalize it, and to make it a reality,” Ms. Ramesh said recently. “The work professional managers do in their communities day after day has an impact on the lives of so many individuals worldwide, and I am so proud to be a part of the ICMA team that provides the support our members have come to expect from us to help them excel in their jobs.”

Ms. Ramesh brings 25 years of executive- and administrative-level experience to her leadership role with ICMA. She has been with the organization since June 1991, when she accepted the position of controller. In September 2005, Ms. Ramesh was named ICMA’s CFO, and in April 2013, she took on the added responsibilities of interim COO. Prior to joining ICMA, she worked for five years as controller for an international publishing firm, where she automated all its financial and order fulfillment processes.

Ms. Ramesh is well recognized within the not-for-profit financial community for her knowledge and understanding of organizational operations, especially as they relate to operating a complicated grants and contracts division. She also serves as treasurer for the Center for State and Local Government Excellence in Washington, D.C., and is on the finance committee of the Center for Public Administration and Service, Inc., which owns and operates the building in which ICMA is housed.

Ms. Ramesh earned her bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Madras, India, in 1985, and her master’s in information systems from George Mason University in 1988.  She is a certified public accountant and a certified management accountant.

About ICMA

ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, advances professional local government worldwide. The organization’s mission is to create excellence in local governance by developing and fostering professional management to build sustainable communities that improve people’s lives. ICMA provides member support; publications; data and information; peer and results-oriented assistance; and training and professional development to 9,500 appointed city, town, and county leaders and other individuals and organizations throughout the world. The management decisions made by ICMA's members affect millions of individuals living in thousands of communities throughout the world, from small villages and towns to large metropolitan areas.

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