The 2025 Class of Leadership ICMA capstone projects showcase the creativity, insight, and practical leadership of emerging local government leaders committed to advancing the profession. Developed with a strong focus on the needs of small- and mid-sized communities, these projects offer timely, actionable resources that address the real challenges practitioners face every day. From strengthening organizational capacity and supporting workforce development to enhancing community engagement, collaboration, and service delivery, each team translated learning into solutions that can be adapted and applied across diverse local government settings.
These capstones reflect the best of Leadership ICMA: innovative thinking, peer collaboration, and a deep commitment to public service. More than academic exercises, they are practical tools designed to help local government professionals lead with confidence, respond to complexity, and better serve their residents. The following summaries highlight each team’s focus area, key deliverables, and meaningful contributions to building stronger, more resilient communities and a more connected local government profession.
- A Practical Guide to CIP Committees: Strengthening Capital Governance and Public Trust
A Practical guide to establishing and operating an internal CIP committee
- Case‑study–based documentation drawn from a local government organization
- Guidance focused on: Advancing transparency in capital improvement programming
- Aligning project selection with elected officials’ goals and community priorities
- Clearly communicating CIP project selection processes to decision‑makers and residents
- Tools and insights to support a more defensible, structured, and transparent approach to capital project selection in jurisdictions with mature CIP processes
Download the Guide to CIP Committees here.
Capstone Members:
- Brian Staley
- AI Practices: AI Scoring Matrix
AI Scoring Matrix to help local jurisdictions evaluate whether or not an AI tool is the best fit for them to address their need.
- Evergreen evaluation framework designed to keep pace with rapid AI evolution
- 30‑point scoring system (pass/fail threshold)
- Evaluation criteria informed by responses to surveys and interviews with public‑ and private‑sector AI practitioners
- Web‑based, interactive tool (HTML generated using Microsoft Copilot)
- Training video explaining:
- How to use the scoring matrix to evaluate the AI software that you're possibly considering.
- Legal, ethical, data privacy, and workforce considerations
- AI‑generated avatar video used intentionally as part of the training delivery
- Susana Carbajal
- C.J Heaton
- Corey Costello
- Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Toolkit
Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Toolkit designed for small communities (150,000 residents and below)
- Rolling 10‑year Capital Improvement Program framework focused on assets valued at $50,000 and above
- CIP example policy
- Six templates / worksheets, including: Project readiness review checklist (site control, engineering, permitting, cost estimates, funding sources)
- Internal project charter (internal planning document)
- One‑page public‑facing project summary for budget submission
- Standardized evaluation criteria to support: Objective project prioritization (public safety, asset condition, service impacts, strategic alignment)
- Toolkit intended to help communities move away from reactive, ad‑hoc capital decision‑making
Download the Guide to CIP Committees here.
Capstone Members:
- Matthew Graham
- Brian MacDonald
- Civic Assemblies: An Answer to Our Toughest Problems
An 8‑page practitioner’s guide titled Civic Assemblies: An Answer to Our Toughest Problems
- Designed around three case studies:
- Montrose, CO – civic assembly on child care shortages
- Fort Collins, CO – civic assembly addressing a land‑use issue that advanced to the ballot
- Seattle, WA – civic assembly on climate resilience, clean air and energy transition, and economic equity
- Guidance on: When civic assemblies are an appropriate engagement tool
- Key elements of successful civic assemblies
- Lessons learned from real-world applications
- Adaptations for smaller or resource‑constrained communities
Download the Guide to Civic Assemblies here.
Capstone Members:
- Sammara Green
- Michelle Bowers
- Tiesha Mosley
- Rupa Venkatesh
- Joe Walsh
- Jill Wolf
- Designed around three case studies:
- Data Culture Toolkit
Data Culture Toolkit focused on building and sustaining a data‑informed organizational culture, particularly for small‑ and mid‑sized jurisdictions. Toolkit organized around six core areas:
- Leading a data culture shift
- Data literacy fundamentals
- Trust and transparency
- Equity in data use
- Building a strategic data plan
- Staff engagement and equitable decision‑making
- Embedded, practical templates linked throughout the toolkit
- Survey of ~72 local government professionals to inform toolkit design
- Two webinars included as part of the toolkit - Data in the City webinar series:
- First one featuring a small city, West Hollywood, a mid-size city Savannah, and a large city Philadelphia
- Webinar interview with Harvard Bloomberg Data Fellows on applied data work in Savannah
Download the Data Culture Toolkit here.
Capstone Members:
- Jackie Rocco
- Jennifer Blalock
- David Irizarry
- Emergency Management 101: A Toolkit for Small Communities
This Emergency Management toolkit is intended to provide a clear starting point for communities that may not have dedicated emergency management staff, offering accessible guidance, adaptable templates, and links to key resources.
- A ~10‑page narrative emergency management framework
- Three chapters (pre‑disaster, during disaster, post‑disaster)
- Appendices including:
- ~16 curated documents
- ~8 critical forms
- Links to dozens of templates and trainings
- Intended as a living toolkit for small communities
- The group is planning to work on an article for PM Magazine.
Download the Emergency Management toolkit here.
Capstone Members:
- Jorge Chamorro
- Ashley Bernal
- Molly Fitzpatrick
- Patrick Jones
- Five-Star City Government: Enhancing Customer Experiences with Municipal Services
Customer Service Playbook (branded as a playbook rather than a toolkit)
- Interactive PDF (target length: ~15–20 pages)
- Playbook organized around four core pillars:
- Standardization and standard operating procedures
- Access to information and internal knowledge systems
- Professional training and staff development
- Feedback loops and continuous reporting
- Practical, “pull‑off‑the‑shelf” strategies that departments or organizations can implement independently
- Guidance adaptable to different stages of community growth
- Section highlighting existing recognitions, awards, and programs that exemplify excellent customer service
- Intended for potential inclusion in ICMA’s resource library and future presentations
Download the Customer Service Playbook here.
Capstone Members:
- Jessica Carpenter
- Jessica Clarke
- Anthony Armstrong
- Jennifer Arnold
- Kristen Gorham
- Leadership ICMA: Finish Strong
- Design and coordination of an in‑person Leadership ICMA capstone convening to close out the program
- Reframing of the original capstone scope to focus on connection, cohort experience, and program closure
- Synthesis of Leadership ICMA assessment results to identify shared strengths and growth areas across the cohort
- Multi‑day agenda for the in‑person session
- Cohort engagement materials, including:
- Swag bags
- Virtual yearbook (photos and contact information)
- Ongoing coordination for graduation, program completion, and post‑program connection
Capstone Members:
- Shannon Aulabaugh
- Michele Sanchez
- Devon Fields
- Tyler Deems
- Bobby Tech
- Off The Shelf and Into Action: The Strategic Plan Implementation
- PM Magazine article
- Survey of 59 local government professionals
- Synthesized findings on: Community engagement
- Measurable goals and accountability that you report back to your community
- Organizational culture built around your strategic plan
Download the Strategic Plan Study here.
Capstone Members:
- Doug Ferrall
- Myles Tucker
- Stone James
- Lisa Wilson
- Demetrius Bynes
- Christina Cornwell
- The Housing Heroes Podcast Series
- Six‑part podcast series (with a potential seventh summary episode)
- Episodes focused on distinct housing policy areas, including:
- Homelessness
- Supportive housing
- Gentrification
- Zoning reform
- Broader housing supply challenges
- Expert interviews with national and regional housing practitioners
- Listener reflection questions included at the end of each episode
- Distribution planned through ICMA podcast platforms and other podcast channels
The Bridging the Gap: Housing Heroes Podcast can be accessed on the following Platforms:
Capstone Members:
- Brian Hoben
- Seth Floyd
- David Gray
