There are many opportunities for ICMA members to use their talents and interests to become engaged in ICMA and support the profession. The level of commitment varies depending on the opportunity selected. Joining a task force is a year-long commitment. Serving as a coach may require an hour a month or a lifelong commitment to the success of the mentee. The Call for ICMA Member Task Forces and Committees typically opens each year in March.
Learn about Other Volunteer Opportunities
Task Forces
Committees
Committees draw on the skills and interests of a broad cross-section of the ICMA membership to study issues of interest and importance to the organization or to local government in general. They also provide an opportunity for member connection and networking. ICMA committees are primarily those with delegated decision-making authority from the board. They have advisory roles and are ongoing, with members serving staggered terms.
The ICMA Executive Board establishes the task forces and committees at its February board meeting. Members are encouraged to volunteer in the spring, and appointments are made by the president-elect in June. New groups typically begin their work in the fall.
Roles, Expectations, and Responsibilities
Committee volunteers commit to:
- Participate actively on the committee by attending at least one committee meeting per year and letting the chair know if you are not able to attend a meeting. (Members must participate in order to remain on the committee.)
- Follow through on assigned tasks by meeting deadlines, returning phone calls, responding to requests for input via e-mail, etc.
- Respect the opinions of other committee members and the role of the committee chair to build consensus on the specified task.
- Represent the committee to assistants' and managers' associations in their area by attending state or national association meetings, making brief presentations, or writing articles about the committee's work for state or national association newsletters.
Current Committees and Task Forces
Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Committee
Through committee-wide and subcommittee support, the Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Committee (ACAOC) advises staff and assists with the development and enhancement of programs, services, content, resources, and initiatives for current and future assistant, deputy, and dual-role managers in local government. The ACAO Committee was created in 2019 on the recommendation of the Assistant-Deputy Manager Task Force. Today, the ACAOC is supported by engaged members and is led by two co-chairs and two co-vice chairs.
The committee’s strategic guidance improves the preparation of the next generation of ACAOs, expands support for current ACAOs, and builds better relationships between ACAOs and their CAOs, organizations, and communities. Specifically, the committee assists with the ACAO Exchange Program and sessions at the annual conference; provides feedback to ACAOs on the Conference Education Committee; authors monthly PM magazine articles and blog posts; assists in the development of resources for members, such as global/international initiatives and outreach to civics education; and lends expertise for resources like guidebooks and tool kits.
ACAOC appointees should have expertise in current content areas, and in helping ACAOs succeed in their career transitions into the deputy/assistant role and as interim manager. Additionally, ICMA seeks committee representation among the membership from different regions, career positions or job functions, local government type, gender, race, and age. The ideal committee size will be approximately 30 volunteers to assure strong meeting attendance and development of subcommittees to oversee specific priorities, programs, and initiatives. The ACAOC meets bimonthly via a virtual platform throughout the year. Volunteers should be ACAOs (assistant/deputy managers or adjacent duties) or have recently been in that career position.
Awards Evaluation Committee
The Awards Evaluation Committee reviews and evaluates nominations to ICMA's Local Government Excellence Awards Program and selects recipients for Professional and Program Awards, which are conferred at ICMA’s Annual Conference and recognized throughout the year. The committee is also responsible for the integrity of the program, bears the responsibility for establishing criteria for the evaluation process, and recommends the creation or reorganization of awards. There are limited appointments to the panel, which contains 17 members representing each of ICMA's six regions and includes multiple at-large positions. Panel members serve a three-year term. The committee participates in 2-4 conference calls per year, and reviews and rates award nominations.. Knowledge and experience in creating and/or implementing local government programs and policies is preferred.
Conference Evaluation Committee
The 2025 Annual Conference Evaluation Committee will evaluate the 2025 ICMA Annual Conference. The committee will meet via conference call prior to the 2025 ICMA Annual Conference and will meet again post-conference to complete the evaluation process. Feedback may also be solicited in writing. Committee members are appointed for a term of one year.
Conference Education Committee (formerly Conference Planning)
The 2026 Conference Education Committee will plan the education component of the ICMA Annual Conference and ICMA Local Government Reimagined conferences in spring/summer. The committee will meet virtually in fall 2025, and the committee’s main in-person meeting will be held in Long Beach, California, in January 2026. Committee members will participate in conference calls, as needed, throughout the year. Committee members are responsible for reviewing and scoring educational session submissions to assist in determining the educational content of the ICMA Annual Conference and Local Government Reimagined conferences. They will also serve as liaisons to assigned sessions. Committee members are appointed for a term of one year.
Credentialing Advisory Board (Not in the Call for Volunteers)
The Credentialing Advisory Board is responsible for implementing the Voluntary Credentialing Program and advising the ICMA Executive Board on issues related to the program. Implementation includes 1) reviewing applications and making recommendations on granting credentials and 2) reviewing annual reports on professional development activities and what was learned. The 15-member board serves for 3 year terms, meets at ICMA’s headquarters in the fall and otherwise conducts its business via regular conference calls. Members are appointed by the ICMA President based on recommendations from the Executive Director. Must be credentialed for at least 3 years or be an academic. Availability to attend meetings and conference calls and review annual reports on schedule.
Global Engagement Committee (formerly International)
The Global Engagement Committee serves as an advisory body to the ICMA Executive Board. The committee works to communicate the value of having a global perspective to members, and state and other organizations, and emphasize the “I” in ICMA through sharing of their own international experiences and global content and by connecting with other members on the value proposition of ICMA as a global brand. Members promote the sharing of knowledge, tools, and best practices in good governance from around the world through social media.
The committee works closely with staff to support ongoing relationships with local government and professional associations around the world. The committee also examines ways to ensure that important member-to-member interactions occur among and between these organizations and ICMA members.
The committee supports the implementation of the John Garvey Scholarship and Tranter-Leong Fellowship programs that promote member engagement with counterparts in other countries. The committee also supports and promotes opportunities for member engagement in international non-dues revenue programs .
The committee meets each year in person at the ICMA Annual Conference and participates in virtual quarterly meetings. A knowledge exchange is held every year outside of the United States where committee members are encouraged (but not required) to participate in to support professional, peer-to-peer exchanges and contribute to growing ICMA’s knowledge base.
Each committee member serves for three years. Committee members should have international experience related to local government or military service, or experience working for a local government with international focus/strategies and an interest in promoting ICMA’s Global Engagement Strategy. Attendance at the committee meetings and participation in committee projects and ICMA’s global engagement activities are important factors that will be considered for reappointment after the term ends. An active committee member can serve for a second term if recommended by the staff and approved by the ICMA President-Elect. A member can serve two terms maximum, except for the chair and vice chair, who can serve longer if reappointed.
Governance Task Force (Not in the Current Call for Volunteers)
This task force will evaluate ICMA’s governance structure and present recommendations to the ICMA Executive Board on a governance structure, and related processes, that will achieve ICMA’s goal to be a diverse, inclusive, and global organization. Any member is eligible to submit his or her interest in serving on this task force. Applicants will have an opportunity to explain their interest in serving. Ability to demonstrate active engagement in ICMA is an important criteria for consideration. The task force will begin its work at the Austin conference in September 2023 and submit a report with recommendations to the board by December 2024. It is anticipated that the task force will meet monthly in order to complete its work.
Governmental Affairs and Policy Committee
The Governmental Affairs and Policy Committee (GAPC) is tasked with reviewing current and proposed federal, and in some cases state, legislative, and judicial action for impacts on local governments. The committee periodically provides feedback to ICMA on a current policy or regulatory issue. The committee is made up of approximately 60 members and meets in person or virtually twice annually: at the ICMA Annual Conference and in conjunction with the National League of Cities’s March Congressional Cities Conference. Members serve staggered 3-year terms. Members should have significant experience working with local, state, and federal elected and appointed officials and advocacy groups, be familiar with state and federal legislative and budget processes, and be able to understand and communicate the impacts of proposed legislation and/or pending litigation to local governments.
Graduate Education Committee
The Graduate Education Committee (GEC) meets jointly with professors of public administration for the purpose of enhancing the education of future local government management professionals. GEC members are appointed by ICMA's executive director and work hand-in-hand with NASPAA's Local Government Management Education Committee through two subcommittees: Academic Connections and Filling the Pipeline. GEC members have created a number of useful tools for improving the education of future managers, including Model Internship Guidelines and Guidelines for Managers Who Teach. The GEC is composed of approximately 70 members who meet annually at the ICMA Annual Conference and hold conference calls throughout the year. Volunteers should be adjunct faculty, guest instructors/lecturers, full-time academics, or otherwise interested in developing the future of the profession and academic/practitioner relations.
Harvard Kennedy Scholarship Committee
The Harvard Kennedy Scholarship (HKS) Committee was created in 2011 when ICMA obtained the first funder for a member scholarship to attend the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program. The purpose of the committee is to evaluate and rank applications and select the candidate to receive the ICMA scholarship, renamed in 2024 in memory of The Ferguson Group founder, William Ferguson, Jr. The committee reviews the criteria for the scholarship and provides guidance as necessary. To serve on the committee, members must have attended Harvard’s 3-week Senior Executives in State and Local Government program. The committee size 10-15 members and can include former ICMA scholarship recipients. Committee members are appointed by the president-elect for three-year terms.
ICMA Welcome Ambassadors
The Welcome Ambassadors Committee utilizes ICMA’s best resource—its current members—to welcome new members to the community. The Welcome Ambassadors provide meaningful, peer-to-peer outreach to members who have recently joined ICMA, with a global focus on members serving in local government and students in MPA programs. The committee consists of approximately 30 representatives from across ICMA’s six regions who meet at the conference and then virtually. Members are asked to contact new members via email, phone or LinkedIn; provide feedback to ICMA, including what the needs of the new members are, with an eye toward continually improving the process with which we welcome new members into the ICMA community; and act as an ICMA Ambassador when attending state and regional meetings. Members must have the ability to complete monthly tasks, participate in quarterly conference calls, have a passion for the profession and a strong knowledge of the value of ICMA membership, plus an interest in expanding their own professional network by interacting with dozens of new members over the course of the year.
Performance Management Committee
ICMA’s Performance Management Committee is charged with helping to advance the practice of performance management in the profession and in individual local governments. Committee members do this by providing advice to ICMA regarding leading practices in performance management and analytics and by encouraging their peers to adopt these practices. The committee of approximately 24 members meets virtually on a quarterly basis and may meet at the ICMA Annual Conference. They also share their knowledge and experience from time to time on specific research questions and serve on conference panels within their states. Appointments are for two-year, renewable terms. Committee members should be familiar with leading practices in performance management and analytics.
SheLeadsGov Committee (Not in the Current Call for Volunteers)
The newly created SheLeadsGov (SLG) Committee is based on the recommendations of the second Task Force on Women in the Profession in 2013, and the Task Force on Strengthening Inclusiveness in the Profession in 2014, to focus on and work to mitigate the effects of gender bias in the profession and ensure that ICMA membership is inclusive and mirrors the diversity of the communities served. The ideal committee size is 25-30 volunteers to assure strong meeting attendance and development of subcommittees to oversee specific priorities and programs. All gender identities are encouraged to volunteer. The SLG Committee meets via a virtual platform throughout the year and in person at the annual conference.
Smart Communities Committee
The Smart Communities Committee provides support for ICMA’s Local Government Reimagined initiative, a new effort by the association to identify and share innovations in local government leadership, management, and service delivery to create more resilient, equitable, and livable communities. The committee helps with content offered under the Local Government Reimagined initiative, including writing articles and identifying potential topics and subject matter experts for webinars, podcasts, and more. It seeks to address the information and content needs of all ICMA members, providing information to all ranges of knowledge and experience. The Ideal committee member will be either interested in innovation or a subject matter expert in one or more innovative concepts within local government to aid in the development of educational content. Appointments are for a three-year term. The committee will meet at least quarterly and may be engaged more often as needed.
Sustainable Communities Committee
ICMA’s Sustainable Communities Committee (SCC) supports the advancement of more sustainable, livable, and resilient communities by promoting sustainability as a best practice of local government and a core competency of city and county management; serving as advisors, partners, peer-to-peer mentors, and advocates for creating more sustainable communities; assisting ICMA in expanding its portfolio of sustainability tools and resources, and grant-funded sustainability initiatives; and establishing ties between SCC and other ICMA committees where there are benefits to both groups, such as the Global Engagement Committee. The committee of 20-25 members is appointed by the president-elect for two-year terms. The full committee may meet in-person at the ICMA Annual Conference and quarterly by conference call. Subcommittees appointed by the committee chair, meet on an as needed basis to carry out the committee’s work plan. Members should have a demonstrated passion for sustainability and a willingness to contribute content and thought leadership to the profession. An effort will be made to maintain a diverse mix of demographics and career stages.
Veterans Committee
ICMA continues to focus on helping veterans transition from public service in the military to local government as a second profession. This committee’s mission is to connect veterans to careers in local government while at the same time bringing awareness to our members about the military talent pool which is second only to college graduates.
ICMA’s Veterans Committee appointees should have a passion in helping veterans succeed in their career transitions to local government and integration to ICMA. Additionally, ICMA seeks representation among the membership from different regions, career positions or job functions and diversity of gender, race, and age. The ideal committee size will be between 50-75 volunteers to assure strong meeting attendance and development of sub-committees to oversee specific priorities/programs. A military background is not required to serve on the board, but ICMA seeks to have veterans occupy 50% of the board roster.
