The leadership role of local government managers is to create and maintain resilient and livable communities through the power of engaging with and inspiring others to participate in developing, achieving, articulating, and embodying a shared set of values, shared sense of purpose, and shared vision of the desired community outcome.

Creating better communities around the world begins with a commitment to equity and inclusion. ICMA strives to ensure that our members and the overall profession reflects the diversity of the people we serve. We work to mitigate the effects of bias in all areas of local government by developing and promoting programs and initiatives in the areas of service delivery, hiring practices, leadership development, community engagement, workplace culture.

Form of government refers to the legal structure under which municipalities and counties in the United States organize, e.g., the council-manager vs. the mayor-council form of government. The topic also refers to governance issues and how a local government operates.

Innovation takes many forms in cities, towns, and counties. Whether driven by data and emerging technologies, meaningful resident engagement, or empowered employees, it’s about finding new approaches to persistent challenges.