Executive Board Meeting Highlights
The ICMA Executive Board met in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, December 6-9, 2012 and took the following actions:
- Engaged in strategic discussions on topics of importance to the Association and to the profession. The November/December Board meeting each year focuses on two to four strategic issues. The three topics for this meeting focused on the following:
1. Establishing a Member Task Force on Celebrating ICMA’s 100th Anniversary
To commemorate the opportunity presented by the 100th anniversary of ICMA in 2014, the Board agreed to establish a Task Force to engage members in celebrating the accomplishments and legacy of ICMA’s first 100 years and explore how ICMA can continue to serve as a cornerstone for the membership as we begin our second century.
The Board outlined a charge, composition, timetable and deliverables for the Task Force which will be asked to become generally knowledgeable about the history of ICMA, the council-manager form of government, and the local government management profession. Members will pay particular attention to the key historical milestones that should be highlighted for the membership. In addition, the Task Force will become familiar with the recent dialogue on leadership in the future and the implications for local government and the profession.
A solicitation to members for expressions of interest in serving on the Task Force was included in the December 18, 2012 ICMA Leadership Matters newsletter and a reminder is included in this issue. The Task Force, composed of twenty-five to thirty members who are representative of the membership and who provide a good balance of early career members who have been active in ICMA and executive and encore leaders who can serve as organization “historians,” will be selected by the ICMA President and President-elect in consultation with ICMA Vice Presidents.
2. Leadership in the Second 100 years and Implications for ICMA and State Associations
The Board reviewed findings from conversations with members over the last year about the future of local government and of the profession as it approaches its second hundred years. The Board discussed the emerging consensus of major drivers which will influence the future roles and strategies of local governments in the U.S. as well as the critical issues, based on citizen surveys, which matter most to the people in the U.S. Since they require a multi-sector, multi-disciplinary and intergovernmental strategy to produce outcomes, there will be a key role for local governments and local government professionals to play. The Board concurred that the right drivers and issues have been identified, making these points:
- We should always link the discussion back to the larger purpose of local government leadership, which is to build great communities. None of the drivers or issues stand in isolation and all require an integrated response.
- The global nature of today’s world should be highlighted.
- The infrastructure issue is very broad, especially including transportation and mobility.
The Board then explored ICMA and state association roles in these key areas: marketing the profession, creating partnerships, professional development, Code of Ethics, next generation, networking, policy, technical assistance, and individual member support. The Board affirmed the importance of these roles and coordination with state associations. Key points included:
- Does ICMA need to do everything it is currently doing? If we don’t shed things, we can’t take on new things. Priorities have to be set.
- Better linkage is needed between ICMA and elected officials. Elected officials are the decision makers and they need to understand what ICMA offers, i.e. recruitment guidelines and credentialing.
Conversations will continue as the Board and staff assess priorities for the next budget year (FY 2014) and beyond. In addition, the ICMA University Workshop at the five Regional Summits in 2013 will consider the drivers and issues drawing on the concepts identified by Jim Collins in his most recent book Great by Choice and his presentation at the 2012 Annual Conference in Phoenix.
3. Task Force on Financing ICMA
Earlier this year, the Board established a thirty-member Task Force to review ICMA’s mix of revenue sources and to assess the membership dues structure in the overall context of ICMA financing and its ability to attract and retain members. The Board reviewed preliminary recommendations of three Task Force subgroups (Professional Development and Publications, U.S. Programs, and International Programs) with chair Mike Van Milligen, City Manager, Dubuque, Iowa and subgroup chair Jonathan Lewis, City Manager, North Port, Florida.
The full Task Force will meet in the spring to develop final recommendations based on the work of the three sub groups and on deliberation as a full Task Force on membership and dues issues. A final report will come to the Board at the Annual Conference in Boston in September 2013. The Board will then solicit member feedback before taking any action.
- Received an update on the Life, Well Run campaign. As of November 1, 2012, Life, Well Run had raised $1.35 million through gifts and pledges. The videos from the pilot communities in Texas and Illinois have been released and well- received. Next steps are to review lessons learned in the pilot communities in formulating a national campaign including goals, target audiences, internal and external resources, and manager involvement at the local level. ICMA also plans to develop a template video that individual State associations and/or communities can tailor for their use. The Board had a lively discussion on the Life, Well Run campaign and asked Executive Director Bob O’Neill to provide an update on strategies and tactics regarding continued fundraising and campaign delivery at the February Board meeting in El Paso, Texas.
- Reviewed and supported recent initiatives to expand research on best practices in local government. ICMA’s new Center for Management Strategies has signed a working agreement with the Alliance for Innovation and Arizona State University for a new and expanded business relationship for research and identification of “emerging practices” in local government management. This agreement will help to fulfill the original intent of the Alliance for Innovation partnership to transform local governments by accelerating the identification, dissemination and adoption of innovations.
To further enhance the research agenda, ICMA and the Alliance are exploring the development of a “collaborative research network” to further involve ICMA members, additional academic institutions, the private sector and non-profits in the identification and funding of future research topics. The partnership of ICMA, AFI, and ASU would manage this network, including the selection and funding processes for research projects. Also, US Program Centers and the Center for State and Local Government Excellence would be included in the research and dissemination activities.
- Revised the Executive Director evaluation and compensation process.
- Approved changes to ICMA’s retirement plan for employees to enhance ICMA’s retirement system and to encourage all staff to begin saving for retirement.
- Participated in a tour of Fort Lauderdale projects conducted by City Manager Lee Feldman and other staff members.
