Dealing with a tough issue? Facing a challenge? Access confidential support, resources and services for your mental, physical, social and financial wellbeing, any time, 24/7.
Wishing you had a convenient way to access information, updates and tips to support your wellbeing and your success at work?
Looking for ways to make your money go further? Equilibrum is all this and more!
Members who qualify for this new benefit, (managers, assistant managers, and members in transition) have been sent an email with log-in credentials. If you have not received this email or have questions, please contact membership@icma.org.
We have launched a new member benefit! Equilibrium, an exciting and innovative wellbeing solution that managers, assistants, and members in transition can use every single day!
Restoration tools for the resilient manager icma.org/balance
Years in the making, the reimagined dues structure offers greater affordability, which will contribute to member satisfaction and membership growth.
Perego, ICMA-CM
ICMA members are the lifeblood of the association.
one is unique and appreciates different aspects of their membership.
Ethics Matter!
for Managing
Around the World Great Managers Recognize the Need for Early Career Experiences
Perspectives from ICMA’s affiliates in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Kenya, Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and ICMA China Center and ICMA México-Latinoamérica
Carty
Important takeaways from ICMA’s Second Annual Equity Summit, including how to sustain your organization’s commitment to advancing racial equity in local government, how you can leverage your budget in your equity efforts, and the importance of doing the diversity, equity, and inclusion work as a white person.
Atcheson
Positioning state and local governments to be employers of choice now and into the future
Liss-Levinson,
Relationships
Letter from the CEO/ Executive Director
ICMA’s Value Proposition
and Deputies
MARTHA PEREGO, ICMA-CM, is director of member services and ethics director, ICMA, Washington, D.C. (mperego@icma.org).
As the nature of local government services has evolved and grown in complexity, so too have the relationships with those outside entities brought on to assist. Tech firms are creating community engagement platforms vastly superior to anything most local governments could develop. Consulting firms, often led and staffed by former practitioners, now work in very niche areas like local government budgeting, goal setting for governing bodies, or executive recruitment. With a different business model, nonprofits remain an essential partner, providing technical expertise and/or delivering actual services.
In this environment, local governments benefit by getting critical support and technical expertise to supplement staff capacity. Beyond their profit motive, the outside entities benefit by gaining invaluable insight they can use to further enhance their products, services, and approach. In some ways, the arrangements are far less transactional and may even feel like a partnership, albeit one that has local government covering the full freight. But local government staff would be wise to always remember that while there may be a mutual interest in serving the public, this is not a partnership. This is commerce complete with contractual obligations.
Public Management (PM) (USPS: 449-300) is published monthly by ICMA (the International City/County Management Association) at 777 North Capitol Street. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002-4201. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. The opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ICMA.
COPYRIGHT 2022 by the International City/County Management Association. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced or translated without written permission.
REPRINTS: To order article reprints or request reprint permission, contact pm@icma.org.
SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S. subscription rate, $50 per year; other countries subscription rate, $155 per year. Printed in the United States. Contact: 202/289-4262; subscriptions@icma.org.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Public Management, ICMA, 777 N. Capitol Street, N.E., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20002-4201.
ARTICLE PROPOSALS: Visit icma.org/writeforus to see editorial guidelines for contributors.
For more information on local government leadership and management topics, visit icma.org.
Good stewardship of the public’s money is an enormous ethical obligation. When the procurement process is conducted with transparency and fairness on a level playing field, the outcome is acquiring the best product or service at a competitive price provided by the most competent of sources. When done the right way, it reinforces the message that residents can trust their officials to be good stewards of their money. It fortifies the critical principle that holding public office is a public trust.
The guideline on endorsements under Tenet 12 of the ICMA Code of Ethics (seen on the next page) sets up guardrails designed to keep local government staff and the organizations they represent above board when it comes to commerce and their relationship with vendors. In revising the endorsement guidelines several years ago, we tried to construct clear guiderails. That said, as vendors adopt new approaches to developing and marketing their services, questions such as these pop up:
I was asked to serve on an advisory board for a global cybersecurity firm. The invitation identified me as a “thought leader” in local government. The “ask” of the advisory board members is to meet four times a year to share insight on the challenges cities
icma.org/pm
ICMA
777 North Capitol Street, N.E. Suite 500 Washington, D.C. 20002-4201
EDITORIAL OFFICE: pm@icma.org
ADVERTISING SALES: Ben Anderson, MCI USA 410.316.9866 ben.anderson@mci-group.com
more at https://icma-mediakit.com/
ICMA MEMBER SERVICES: 800.745.8780 | 202.962.3680 membership@icma.org
ICMA’s vision is to be the leading association of local government professionals dedicated to creating and supporting thriving com munities throughout the world. It does this by working with its more than 12,000 members to identify and speed the adoption of leading local government practices and improve the lives of residents. ICMA offers membership, professional development programs, research, publications, data and information, technical assistance, and train ing to thousands of city, town, and county chief administrative officers, their staffs, and other organizations throughout the world.
Management (PM) aims to inspire innovation, inform decision making, connect leading-edge thinking to everyday challenges, and serve ICMA members and local governments in creating and sustaining thriving communities throughout the world.
Keeping local government staff and the organizations they represent above board when it comes to commerce and their relationship with vendors
and counties are facing. The invitation was very clear: there is no expecta tion that participants would be asked to use or endorse the firm’s products.
At face value, this firm seems interested in leveraging your experience, intellect, and time to benefit their business. On the flip side, participating in the group may also be a learning opportunity for you as colleagues discuss their approach to dealing with challenges. But an invitation to engage with an external party— whether a for-profit company, academic institution, or nonprofit—does raise ethical considerations.
If your organization has hired this firm or has plans to hire a firm in this field, you should decline the invitation. Your participation on their advisory board while concurrently vetting them as a potential vendor or being a client presents at a minimum an appearance of a conflict of interest. If none of those circumstances are present, then you can certainly join a board to offer your insight if they do not use your participation on the advisory board to market their firm. One other note of caution: you may be asked to be part of a panel to talk about their research or the contributions of the advisory board. Serving on a panel at a professional association conference may be okay if the content is fact based and not designed to promote the firm. However, do not agree
2021–2022
ICMA
Board
PRESIDENT Troy Brown, ICMA-CM City Manager Moorpark, California
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Jeffrey Towery, ICMA-CM City Manager McMinnville, Oregon
PAST PRESIDENT
James Malloy, ICMA-CM Town Manager Lexington, Massachusetts
VICE PRESIDENTS
International Region
Robert Kristof
Timisoara, Romania
Chris MacPherson
Former Chief Administrative Officer
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Rebecca Ryan
General Manager
Blayney Shire Council, New South Wales, Australia
to be on a webinar that will sit on the firm’s website. That is marketing and would be regarded as an endorsement.
For my very hard-working team, getting external recognition for our work is always appreciated. Over the years we’ve won awards from ICMA and other membership associations. We’ve just received notice that another award is coming our way. This one is different, however, because the award is coming from a firm under contract to provide services to our county. Also, the invitation to accept the award includes four complimentary registrations to the firm’s confer ence where the awards will be given. Is it okay to accept the award? Is it okay to accept the free registrations assuming that the county pays for staff travel to the event?
Giving awards to clients seems to lack the objectivity and perhaps credibility typically associated with professional awards vetted through a peer review process. That said, if the county wants to accept the award that is okay as long as the vendor does not include pictures of county employees or a quote from the county about the award on their website, in social media, or other marketing efforts. If the county wants to accept the award in person, the county should pay the cost of registration plus travel. The free
Tenet 12. Public office is a public trust. A member shall not leverage his or her position for personal gain or benefit.
Endorsements. Members should not endorse commercial products or services by agreeing to use their photograph, endorsement, or quotation in paid or other commercial advertisements, marketing materials, social media, or other documents, whether the member is compensated or not for the member’s support. Members may, however, provide verbal professional references as part of the due diligence phase of competitive process or in response to a direct inquiry.
Members may agree to endorse the following, provided they do not receive any compensation: (1) books or other publications; (2) professional development or educational services provided by nonprofit membership organizations or recognized educational institutions; (3) products and/or services in which the local government has a direct economic interest.
Members’ observations, opinions, and analyses of commercial products used or tested by their local governments are appropriate and useful to the profession when included as part of professional articles and reports.
Midwest Region
Molly Mehner, ICMA-CM Assistant City Manager Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Victor Cardenas, ICMA-CM Assistant City Manager Novi, Michigan
Corri Spiegel, ICMA-CM City Administrator Davenport, Iowa
Mountain Plains Region
Raymond Gonzales Jr.
Executive Vice President, Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce; and President, Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation Denver, Colorado
Diane Stoddard, ICMA-CM Assistant City Manager Lawrence, Kansas
Kenneth Williams City Manager Buda, Texas
Northeast Region
Teresa Tieman, ICMA-CM Manager in Transition Dover, Delaware
William Fraser, ICMA-CM City Manager Montpelier, Vermont
Scott W. Colby Jr.
Assistant Town Manager Windsor, Connecticut
Southeast Region
Michael Kaigler, ICMA-CM Assistant County Manager Chatham County, Georgia
Nate Pagan, ICMA-CM City Manager Owensboro, Kentucky
Valmarie Turner, ICMA-CM Assistant County Administrator Loudoun County, Virginia
West Coast Region
Peter Troedsson, ICMA-CM City Manager Albany, Oregon
Roxanne Murphy Borough Manager Kodiak Island, Alaska
Pamela Antil, ICMA-CM City Manager Encinitas, California
Director,
Managing
Graphics
Design
registrations are a gift being offered by a vendor. Accepting a gift from a current vendor creates the appearance of a conflict of interest and could lead to actual conflicts down the road should there be any performance or contractual issues.
Shortly after arriving at the ICMA annual conference, I received an email from an executive recruiting firm. I am very familiar with this firm because they had the contract that resulted in me landing my current posi tion as city manager. The firm was inviting everyone to meet for a photo opportunity. While I don’t know everyone on the distribution list, I’m guessing that it went to individuals this firm had successfully placed. Would it be okay to appear in the photo?
Before proceeding, it would be smart to ask the recruiter for more details. Who’s the target audience for the email? How will the photo be used? If the recruiter plans to place the photo on their website, share it on social media, or use it in printed marketing materials, that creates an ethics issue. Even the use of a member’s photo, without any accompanying comment, is considered an endorsement under the guidelines.
We had an excellent experience with a firm that specializes in helping cities dispose of surplus property. Their property evaluations were on target, and they moved quickly though the marketing, sale, and settlement stages. Now they have asked for our assistance in marketing their services to other cities. I’ve declined to offer any statement for their marketing materials as I know that crosses the line on endorsements. Can I at least offer them a letter of reference they can use when responding to RFPs? My motivation is simply to help other local governments hire competent firms.
Sharing your experience about this firm with colleagues to assist in their efforts in selecting the best vendor is fine. As with most things in life, how you do that matters. Rather than writing a blanket letter of reference that talks solely about your experience, it’s better to agree to serve as a reference. Serving as a reference gives you the opportunity to add context to your experience with the vendor when you talk with your colleague. After all, just because you had a great experience with the firm doesn’t mean they are necessarily equipped or suited to do the work for any local government.
Maintaining the public’s confidence in procurement decisions made by local governments is critical. Beyond ensuring that the mechanics of the procurement process are technically correct, ICMA encourages all to adopt a higher standard when it comes to interactions with vendors. The guiderails offered in the endorsement guideline exist to do just that. To ensure that the process is unbiased and above reproach, members should not leverage their reputation nor that of the organization to benefit a vendor.
October 20, 1:30–3:00pm
Local government can be very bureaucratic in nature, especially in large organizations. How can we avoid getting bogged down in red tape and ensure that our organization is fast and flexible? One way to do this is to drive leadership down. By educating, empowering, and enabling employees to make decisions, leaders allow small and agile teams to lift their organization to the next level. Register for this FREE coaching webinar on October 20, to learn how to empower your teams and foster an organizational culture where your department directors support their team leaders.
October 5: Webinar: Better Together: Building Effective Intergovernmental Partnerships
October 13: Webinar: Help Wanted: The Rapidly Changing Role of Human Resources
October 19: Webinar: Update on New and Emerging Topics in the Environmental Services Industry
October 20: Free Coaching Webinar: Alternatives to Silos— Leadership at Every Level
October 25: Webinar: Enhancing Your Parks and Recreation Programming
Register for ICMA Digital for live streaming of all keynotes and selected educational breakout sessions, on-demand access to all livestreamed content, and live tech support. Team/ group discounts available for 5 or more attendees. Register at conference.icma.org/2022-icma-digital/
Real talks providing insight about the experiences of marginalized and underrepresented persons in local government leadership. Access recordings at icma.org/living-history
ICMA’s Voices in Local Government podcast tells stories, inspires ideas, celebrates progress, and acknowledges challenges faced by local government managers and staff in serving the public. icma.org/podcasts
If you are an ICMA member, we want to hear what’s new in your career or organization. All members are welcome to submit— from CAOs to students. Please complete the form at icma.org/ spotlight-members. Check out the October Member Spotlight with Dr. Beverli Marshall, general manager of a wastewater district in Southern California, on the inside back cover of this issue.
ICMA’s 21-member executive board provides governance to the association and is responsible for selecting the president, supervising the association’s executive director/CEO, providing fiduciary oversight, representing the association, and adopting policies to advance ICMA’s mission and vision, thereby exercising a critical leadership role for the local government management profession. The board also enforces the association’s Code of Ethics, which governs the professional and personal conduct of the membership.
There are six regions and each region is represented by three regional vice presidents. Every year, each region has one regional vice president position open up in the region’s rotation. ICMA Executive Board service demands active participation and a significant commitment of time and effort throughout a board member’s three-year term.
NOMINATIONS FOR REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED OCTOBER 18, 2022, THROUGH JANUARY 13, 2023.
Start planning today! ICMA strongly encourages individuals who are interested in pursuing this leadership opportunity to reach out to their state or country association leadership, affiliate organization leadership, current or former ICMA regional vice presidents, ICMA regional directors, or ICMA program staff at icmanominations@icma.org. Access regional nominations and annual election information on ICMA’s website: icma.org/BoardNominations.
“Being able to represent colleagues in my region was a tremendous honor and responsibility. Throughout my time on the board, I had the privilege of working with some very talented people while making some great friends.”
Christopher Coleman, former Northeast Regional Vice President
“I wanted to serve on the board to give back to ICMA and the profession. As a board member, I believe I have been able to have an impact on the important work of the ICMA Strategic Plan.”
Diane Stoddard, Mountain Plains Regional Vice President
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on the Board. Local governments around the world have never been more challenged than they are right now and it’s important that we have organizations like ICMA to help us navigate the difficult waters. I would strongly encourage any ICMA member to put their name forward to run for a board position.”
Chris MacPherson, International Regional Vice President
BY MARC A. OTT
Throughout my career in local government, I had the good fortune to work for municipalities that had the resources to support my professional growth. This meant funding my membership in ICMA and my state and affiliate associations, covering my registration and expenses associated with attending the ICMA Annual Conference, and supporting my work on committees that would advance the profession.
I continued that tradition when I became a budget decisionmaker, ensuring that my staff, especially those who aspired to become CAOs, had the benefit of ICMA membership. In fact, the city of Austin regularly sent more than a dozen staff members to the ICMA Annual Conference because we felt the return on our investment in terms of innovative ideas, leading practice, and individual professional growth was so great.
In my first months on the job as CEO and executive director for ICMA, I spent as much time as possible listening. I met with members—and in some cases, nonmembers—serving in local government who bluntly shared their ICMA experiences with me. What I heard was striking. For the most part, members were very satisfied with the networking opportunities, services and resources, and the conference and other professional development offerings. The major negative was clearly the cost of membership. The concept of ICMA’s value proposition—the price/ value relationship of ICMA membership—had preoccupied the Executive Board and
For the first time in its 107-year history, ICMA has reduced dues for its core membership of managers and assistants.
We believe that by making membership more affordable, we will be welcoming a whole new cadre of members, especially managers from small communities.
the staff for nearly two decades. And while ICMA continued to increase value-added services, the issue of the cost continued to be a barrier to membership.
This was particularly true with small communities that simply did not have the budget to fund both membership in the state association and ICMA. These discussions were eye-opening when you consider most of ICMA’s members come from small communities. Some of these very dedicated colleagues told me they were forced to choose because of their financial circumstances, and since they could get most of their basic needs met by their state associations at a much lower cost, the decision was clear.
ICMA had attempted to tackle the issue of member dues through member task forces in the past, but in 2019, the ICMA Board made the dues structure and the member value proposition a key strategic priority and established a subcommittee of the board. That began a three-year process that brings us to today and an historic change designed to knock down this significant barrier of membership. For the first time in its 108-year history, ICMA has reduced dues for its core membership of managers and assistants.
The Dues Subcommittee and ICMA staff worked with McKinley Partners, experts in pricing and value propositions who have a successful track record of helping similar organizations tackle these kinds of issues. Hundreds of data points were gathered through a member survey and focus groups. Various models were analyzed and tested. Virtually every segment of the organization participated, and when you have such diversity of experiences and thinking, you get the best outcome.
In this age of inflation, in which costs continue to rise, ICMA is bucking the trend. The Board and staff understand that in the short term, revenue from dues will be lower, in fact we have budgeted for it. The dues reduction comes with no reduction in our valued member benefits. But we believe that by making membership more affordable, we will be welcoming a whole new cadre of members, especially managers from small communities. And we especially hope that those members who were forced to choose will return and work with us to continue to grow in their careers and further ICMA’s mission of creating thriving communities.
MARC OTT is CEO/executive director of ICMA, Washington, D.C.
In this age of inflation, in which costs continue to rise, ICMA is bucking the trend.
If we want to keep women in our profession and we want women to keep advancing, we have to acknowledge motherhood and help them through this major life event.
In 2014, PM magazine published an article titled, “Women Leading Government,” which stated that the percentage of women in chief administrative roles had not increased much since the 1980s. At the time, I was a local government management fellow and beginning to fall in love with the profession. The article explored a number of reasons why women were not moving into executive roles in local government. Unsurprisingly, the challenge of balancing a career with a family was identified as one of the reasons.
I am excited that my daughter gets to see a woman working hard and loving her career, her profession and her family.
This was something that I heard so much about as a woman who aspired to lead. Since I wanted to raise children one day, I became concerned about the impact starting a family might have on my career. At the 2019 ICMA Annual Conference, while participating in the speed coaching session, I shared my concerns with nearly every female coach in the room. I asked them how they found balance, what advice they had, and if there was anything I could do to prepare.
TERESA DE CASTRO serves as the assistant city manager over administrative services for the city of Decatur, Georgia.
Later that year, I accepted the role of assistant city manager with the city of Decatur, Georgia. There were many enticing reasons to work for Decatur, but one key motive was I felt it would be a supportive place to start a family. I felt confident I would be supported by the organization, my peers, and my staff, but most importantly, by the city manager, Andrea Arnold. Previously, Andrea had been the assistant city manager for 15 years and had three children while serving in that role. So if anyone knew how to make it work, I knew it was Andrea.
In 2021, when I gave birth to my daughter, I realized I had made the best decision. I also realized having the right team and the right mindset
makes all the difference. I know how lucky I am to have an understanding manager who knows what I am going through and makes time to advise me on balancing all of my many roles and tasks.
Give Yourself Some Grace
Everyone says that when you have a baby, your whole life changes; you awkwardly laugh and agree, but you don’t really know what that means until it happens. That little human takes over your life and becomes your main priority. But you still love your other “baby“—your career. How do you balance the two? How do you avoid the guilt that comes from believing one of these areas of your life must suffer in order for the other to thrive?
There were many enticing reasons to work for Decatur, but one key motive was I felt it would be a supportive place to start a family.
I find that giving myself a little grace, both personally and professionally, goes a long way. I know I won’t be able to do everything in the same way as before I became a parent, but that’s alright. There might be a work meeting or two that I miss. I might miss a few bath times and story times because of city commission meetings. However, I am excited that my daughter gets to see a woman working hard and loving her career, her profession, and her family. And I’m glad that employees get to see a leader balancing family and career with the support of our administration.
Let your manager, your team, and your family know what you are going through. It was difficult at first to be vulnerable about such a personal experience, but people can and will adjust if they know how they can help or that you even want the help. In the last year, I found there were so many people in my profession and in my personal life that were eager to help.
Moving to a place where I was able to be honest about needing help and accepting support from the community around me is the reason I avoided burnout. My husband developed a calendar system so he knows my schedule of evening meetings and weekend events and we balance parenting responsibilities. My coworkers stepped in to manage projects in progress as I began my maternity leave. Coming back to work as a parent, I found team members willing to stand in for me in case of emergencies.
Once you realize you can’t do everything, choose what is most important. In our leadership roles, we have the flexibility to choose many of our schedules and projects. I now pay more attention when choosing what projects are the most important. The necessity of really prioritizing what I’m investing my time in has made me a better leader because I don’t waste time on low-impact tasks. When I come into work, I know my time is finite and I need to make the biggest impact possible with the time I have. Fully understanding the value of (even more) limited time has pushed me to delegate responsibilities, which has provided new opportunities for my team to grow and learn.
The final thing is to have a good mentor. And don’t assume that mentors have to be other moms— some of the dads and non-parents have been the most supportive people for me over the last year. I’m fortunate that I’m able to share my concerns and fears with my city manager and seek her advice on her own experience navigating motherhood and
serving in this role. She regularly made time to help me through this important time in my career and in my personal life, calling to check in on me during maternity leave and meeting regularly with me when I returned to the office to discuss how the transition back to work was going. She even emphasized her support of me taking more time if I needed it. When I got back into my new normal routine, she encouraged me to prioritize and communicate my needs to her so that the new balance I’m navigating is sustainable.
If you don’t have someone in your organization to help you, reach out to someone else in the profession in another community. It is always helpful to hear from someone that balancing work and parenting is hard but can be productive and successful. My hope is that one day I can pay it forward and be there for someone like Andrea was there for me. If we want to keep women in our profession and we want women to keep advancing, we have to acknowledge motherhood and help them through this most impactful event in their lives. Motherhood and profession need not be at the cost of each other; to the contrary, they can be complementary with the right tools, support systems, and understanding.
to the city of Clearwater for receiving Keep Pinellas Beautiful's first innovation award.
Underground Refuse Systems is proud to play a part in helping keep Clearwater "Bright and Beautiful, Bay to Beach"
I know how lucky I am to have an understanding manager who knows what I am going through and makes time to advise me on balancing all of my many roles and tasks.
Years in the making, the reimagined dues structure offers greater affordability, which will contribute to member satisfaction and membership growth.
There is literally no place in the world where you can find 13,000 people whose sole professional focus is to create and sustain thriving communities—no place except ICMA. The reasons members give for joining ICMA are as
different as each individual. From Life Member Bob Morris who at 100 years old celebrates his role as mentor to 29 assistants, 21 of whom became city managers in 66 cities, to recent graduate and ICMA Local Government Management Fellow (LGMF)
BY MARTHA PEREGO, ICMA-CMCharlene Marsh, who values the ICMA network, especially the LGMF cohort, where she can collaborate and connect with other fellows.
At the October 2019 ICMA Executive Board meeting in Nashville, ICMA’s leadership was wrestling with an issue that had long been plaguing board members. What would it take to grow ICMA membership? How could ICMA attract even more passionate and
committed city, county, and town managers, assistants, and others aspiring to those roles?
While members placed a high value on their ICMA membership, some believed the dues were too expensive. At state association meetings, nonmembers often described the dues as their main barrier to joining. Though everyone at the board meeting said they had heard these concerns raised in the past, the board recognized that this was anecdotal information. The most important next step
would be to get actual data and explore more deeply how dues affected various segments of prospective, former, and current members.
Breaking with the past tradition of establishing a member task force, ICMA looked for outside expertise. “We hired an external consultant with several decades of experience in helping other associations. The consultants guided us through the process of surveying members and conducting focus groups and interviews across all our membership segments,” said Troy Brown, outgoing ICMA president and city manager of Moorpark, California. The consultant, McKinley and Partners, kicked off the project in November 2020. Nearly 3,000 surveys were completed and analyzed, helping ICMA to better understand how member benefits are perceived and valued. They also looked at how the dues structure could be improved
to allow more individuals to join and to create an even greater sense of satisfaction for existing members.
The research results continue to reflect the high regard that respondents have for ICMA, most specifically its networking and professional development offerings. The overall satisfaction rate of 85% for ICMA is significantly higher than other professional associations, which average 78% member satisfaction levels. However, 45% of respondents disagree that membership pricing is reasonable. To compare how ICMA members feel versus members of other professional organizations, the average “cost to value of membership” for professional organizations is 33%. ICMA rated 29%.
A significant number of comments in the focus groups centered on the lack of
affordability for communities with small budgets and/or populations under 7,500. “For small town managers, you have priced them out,” one respondent said. In considering a range of different dues models, “ability to pay” was a preferred approach for the CAO/ACAO segment with salary continuing to be a reasonable metric.
With this data in hand, the committee wanted
to better understand the financial constraints of small communities. “I have worked in small communities for almost my entire career,” said Board Member Teresa (Terri) Tieman, assistant city manager of Bethany Beach, Delaware, who served on the Dues Subcommittee. “I can’t tell you the number of times that I have tapped into ICMA resources to solve a problem, find a vendor, learn the best way to on-board a new councilmember, or to find sample policies. We recently used a policy I found on icma. org to develop our teleworking policy. We didn’t have one preCOVID. I have literally saved my communities thousands in consulting fees, so I was really excited that one outcome [of the Dues Subcommittee] would be to help ICMA become more inclusive of small communities.”
Given that charge, an ICMA staff team under the leadership of Patricia Vinchesi, Northeast regional director, studied a total of 6,000 communities and 250 counties across the United States with an eye toward potential discounts based either on population, budget, or a combination of both. Based on the analysis, the team found among other things that neither population nor budget size is the sole factor for determining ability to pay.
The team looked at a number of financial options that focused, according to Vinchesi, on “being meaningful enough that there would be a substantial reduction from the previous cost of membership to join and an amount that would be within reach of municipal budgets so managers could make an effective ROI
The new dues structure makes membership more affordable for those in smaller jurisdictions who may not have access to the resources to deal with today’s complicated issues and who need ICMA resources the most.
case to their elected officials.”
Vinchesi too worked in small communities prior to her tenure at ICMA. She recalls reaching for ICMA resources or calling on her ICMA network when her town demanded an analysis and recommendation with no budget and limited time.
Previous boards have recognized that ICMA’s dues structure is a serious and complicated matter since dues help fund member benefits and keep the association solvent. Prior task forces took steps to align ICMA dues with organizational priorities. Past task forces established a dues cap of $1,400.00, a flat rate for early to mid-career professionals, and a $200.00 dues rate for department directors to help attract and develop nextgeneration leaders. These adjustments, along with benefit enhancements, have succeeded in growing ICMA’s membership.
Options for a new dues structure were modeled by ICMA’s Chief Finance Officer Sabina Agarunova and her team and reviewed by the Board Finance and Member Committees. The final recommendation reflects a careful balance of forecasting member growth in the years ahead versus the reduction in revenues from the lower cost of dues in the immediate future. “The work of the ICMA staff in support of this effort was tremendous and it reflects a strong belief in the outcome,” Tieman said.
Fellow Board and Dues Committee Member Michael Kaigler, assistant county manager of Chatham County, Georgia, agrees. “This makes membership more affordable for individuals in smaller
jurisdictions who may not have access to the resources to deal with today’s complicated issues and who need ICMA resources the most. It marks the first time in the history of the organization where the cost of membership overall was lowered. I am most proud of the work we accomplished to address the value of membership through the dues process.”
The new dues structure is effective beginning October 1, 2022.* You can see the full structure at icma.org/join. Here is a summary:
The ICMA Membership Team put together some hypothetical member cases to demonstrate the new dues structure in action.
Manager from a Mid-size City
Salary: $200,000
Old dues structure: She would pay $1,400 (.008 of salary capped at a maximum payment of $1,400).
New dues structure: The rate has been reduced to salary times .0065 and is now capped at $1,200. She would now pay $1,200 and realize a savings of $200.
Salary: $150,000
Old dues structure: He would pay $1,200 (.008 of salary capped at a maximum payment of $1,400).
New dues structure: The rate has been reduced to salary times .0065 and is now capped at $1,200. He would now pay $975 and realize a savings of $225.
Manager from a Small Community (population of 7,500 and a general fund budget of $7.8 million) Salary: $135,000
The salary adjuster decreased from .008 to .0065 capped at $1,200, and represents a minimum 14% dues reduction.
Smaller communities discount: Full members (CAO or ACAO) working for a local government with a population under 7,500 and general fund budget under $7.8 million receive an additional 20% discount.
Entry Level to Mid-Management and Department Directors: Flat rate of $200.
Private, Nonprofit, Federal, State, and Academic Sector Employees: Flat rate of $200.
Student, Retired, and Life Members: No changes.
*International member dues to be addressed at a later date.
Old dues structure: He would pay $1,080 (salary times .008 capped at a maximum payment of $1,400).
New dues structure: The rate has been reduced to salary times .0065 and is now capped at $1,200. In addition, because the community meets the qualifications for ICMA’s new small community discount, he will receive an additional 20% discount on his dues.
His new dues rate is $702—a savings of $378.
Salary: $105,000
Old dues structure: She would pay $840 (salary times .008 capped at a maximum payment of $1,400).
New dues structure: The rate has been reduced to salary times .0065 and is now capped at
$1,200. In addition, because her community meets the qualifications for ICMA’s new small community discount, she will receive an additional 20% discount on her dues. Her new dues rate is $546—a savings of $294.
“This monumental task could not have been accomplished without the dedication of the Dues Committee. These board members met frequently, and this assignment was extremely labor intensive,” praised Brown. “We knew it would be a multi-year project, but we didn’t know it would be done during a pandemic, which made everything a little more complicated,” he added. “On behalf of all the members, I’d like to thank the ICMA staff, especially the Membership
and Finance Teams, and the Dues Committee members for getting us across the goal line.”
Co-Chairs:
Laura A. Fitzpatrick, deputy city manager, Chesapeake, Virginia Ray Gonzales, former county manager, Adams County, Colorado Michael Kaigler, assistant county manager, Chatham County, Georgia
Members:
Molly Mehner, deputy city manager, Cape Girardeau, Missouri Teresa Tieman, town manager, Fenwick Island, Delaware Peter Troedsson, city manager, Albany, Oregon
Join or renew! Current members will receive renewal
invoices that will reflect the dues changes as applicable. New members joining after October 1, 2022, will receive the new dues rates as applicable. If you have questions about your invoice, contact membership@icma.org.
Current members: please update your ICMA member profile to ensure we have the latest, most accurate information for you. Click on “My ICMA” at the top right of the icma.org homepage to update your profile and to manage your communication preferences.
MARTHA PEREGO, ICMA-CM, is director of member services and ethics director, ICMA, Washington, D.C. (mperego@icma.org).
“The common bond that ICMA Members have is the willingness to serve. The renewed enthusiasm and hope are what gives you the energy to come back and to go another year, to get through the budget cycle, or a council election, or some hot topic, and to know that you’re not alone, none of us are alone. Somehow, we’re part of this broader network that we’re all tied to by our commitment and it’s reassuring to know that there’s people who are genuinely committed to public service.”
ICMA members are the lifeblood of the association. Each one is unique and appreciates different aspects of their membership.
Aram Chaparyan, ICMA-CM City Manager Torrance, California
“[ICMA] affords me the opportunity to still be of service and give back to the local government community. With the start of the Veterans Advisory Committee, I have been able to lean in and give back to a career field that has given a lot to me. I think that ICMA has done a great job with a lot of the committees and work that they do to connect these local government agencies both nationally and internationally. You know, we wear that public service hat all day long in our communities, but it’s also great to give back to the career field as a whole.”
“ICMA helps me a lot! I read the briefing that comes through every day, and I always go down to the bottom of the page where you can get those free newsletters. One I just got was about how to avoid burnout. I’m sharing that with my executive team because at some point, especially during these hard last couple of years, it’s easy to be burned out. So that will be in my ‘tool shed’ from now on, and there’s a lot of resources on the ICMA website that you can take advantage of as well.”
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
“The Code of Ethics is the backbone of what makes us different. I’ve been proud to include the Code of Ethics in all my conversations—with my governing body, with my citizens. It lets people know that it is an important part of who I am, it’s fundamental to my profession and it’s fundamental to me. In an era when people are skeptical about government, it sets us apart.”
Jorge Gonzalez, ICMA-CM
Village Manager
Bal Harbour, Florida
“The networking opportunities and the lifelong friends and colleagues that I’ve made along the way when I was young in my career and living in close proximity to ICMA’s main office, really gave me a leg up and an opportunity to get to know not just other professional managers, but the folks who actually work at ICMA and how much they do for the organization.”
“ICMA has given me a wealth of contact information and knowledge. It also allows you to expand your professional development. ICMA is always sending out the opportunity for you to be a part of either larger conversations on hot button issues or to be a part of professional development for your own self. Things like CARES Act, infrastructure, or management - how to retain employees. So, I’m very thankful for ICMA and the networking that they provide, and I’m also thankful for the courses and the broader classroom exercises that they provide. It’s a wealth of knowledge and I would encourage anybody in government to be a part of ICMA. It’s a fantastic organization.”
“I view my career as more of a jungle gym rather than a ladder I’m climbing. So something I am considering doing after I finish my fellowship is likely getting out the city manager’s office…get a little bit more of that horizontal experience and develop skills and expertise in different background areas...like planning and public works. I do aspire to be a city manager one day. (With) my family being from Liberia, West Africa, something that I’m really interested in is possibly assisting with local governance capacity building with Liberia in the future and that’s something exciting about the ICMA programs—specifically the International Programs.”
Explore FAMS, our industry-leading financial forecasting and scenario planning system. Sign up for a free 14-day trial.
Perspectives from ICMA’s affiliates in the
United Kingdom, Belgium, Kenya, Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and ICMA China Center and ICMA México-Latinoamérica
The United States is amid a talent upheaval, and ICMA’s international affiliates describe a variety of similar issues: a lack of qualified candidates, trouble recruiting, and students uninformed about or disinterested in public service (usually based on false impressions of what local governments do or how they function). Some also report very similar “next generation” talent crises with a growing retirement-age population with smaller generations following.
But the solutions are relatively simple and timeless.
We have compiled the perspectives of ICMA affiliates in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Kenya, Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and ICMA China Center and ICMA
México-Latinoamérica.
Mixed with the experiences of managers in ICMA’s U.S. membership, these perspectives demonstrate that managers around the globe are facing similar issues with talent acquisition and approach early career engagement in similar ways, with some variation in tradition, community size, and funding available.
What kind of earlycareer workforce
trainings do you offer to introduce students to local government?
Everyone answered that they engage students in a form of step-up, on-the-job training for current or recent graduates.
Taking a variety of names such as internship, fellowship, stage, attachment, traineeship, graduate job, cadetship, apprenticeship, or professional practice. They do take different forms: some during school, some after. Some are only for post-graduates and some are requirements for graduation. But what everyone recognizes is that connecting students to real-world work and mentoring is critical for developing new professionals and supporting the public service workforce.
When do you engage students in these types of programs and how long do they last?
Creating a meaningful internship/apprenticeship was a recognized goal, but with many iterations. Here are some of the recurring themes:
• Universities offer a job bank where students can upload a resume/CV that organizations can use to find talent.
• Programs are offered directly or through partnerships
with universities for students while in school, immediately after school, or in the summer or time between academic terms.
• Internships are full- or part-time.
• Most post-graduate programs are paid employment.
• Full employment after an internship is rarely a guarantee. Most students that complete a training program still need to apply for a fulltime position.
• Some respondents did not offer unpaid or volunteer student programs.
• Many programs were six months, usually for current students. Some offered more intense programs like a management traineeship or fellowship with a one- to two-year duration.
Managers around the globe are facing similar issues with talent acquisition and approach early career engagement in similar ways, with some variation in tradition, community size, and funding available.
• Sometimes there is no trouble attracting interns for technical roles, but trouble keeping them long-term given competition and salaries from other sectors.
• Students still need to pass a civil service exam, even after a traineeship.
Difficulty attracting students to work for local government appears to be a common theme among communities worldwide. Maybe it’s the media, maybe it’s some of the bureaucracy, or maybe it’s that some residents may be challenging to support or satisfy. But it’s also that we don’t tell our story well enough about how impactful and rewarding this work in local government can be. Some of our respondents reported:
• They have a challenge recruiting/attracting interest in positions in local government.
• Interns aren’t being engaged to build staff or capacity.
• Only specific departments trained and hired interns,
often in technical service areas.
• Some of the ongoing projects are too complex for recent graduates, or require too much oversight and supervision.
• Depending on the size of the community, there isn’t funding for these positions.
• Communities sometimes hire students or trainees directly, or sometimes they only work with schools.
• A few reported a shortage of qualified candidates.
• Job fairs in partnership with universities when available were helpful.
• Some could only hire from provincial management services and not directly or with universities.
• One noted they have to be proactive when engaged in on-campus recruiting—in a tight job market for talent, the students may not find you!
Is coaching or mentoring a part of your early-career programs? Mentoring and coaching was fairly different from all our respondents. Most have some kind of program, but it is usually reserved for more senior employees and not entry-level or trainees. But coaching and mentoring is key to employee success and retention, and despite staff capacity issues with staff time, mentoring should be made available to everyone in some kind of training program.
• Mentoring is professional and usually reserved for those with more seniority.
How do local governments raise awareness about trainee programs? Do you have any trouble recruiting?
• Mentoring is less individual and more project related.
• Trainees are assigned a permanent internship supervisor who gives feedback and coaching.
• Some reported associationbased guidance for building and developing coaching programs.
• Summer internships have built-in mentoring from a senior staffer (not a professional coach).
• A professional mentor is assigned as part of a structured program.
The bottom line: part of a manager’s job is to find, attract, and prepare tomorrow’s workforce. If you can, hire an intern or engage with a student or early-career talent in meaningful ways.
In summary, design a program that works for your organization. Building capacity through real-world work experiences and exposure is critical to creating and maintaining tomorrow’s public sector managers and senior staff. Funding and time are key obstacles, and sometimes there just aren’t pathways around that. Larger communities have more internships or training opportunities, but they don’t always do more in this area than some smaller communities. Summer internships are cheaper and easier to manage than larger, more structured programs, though sometimes even those are out of reach. But there are schools everywhere,
and students want meaningful work that makes a difference, even before college or university. When we build awareness and interest, the candidate pools increase and are more competitive.
ICMA and other affiliates have developed resources for their memberships to help with some of these challenges, including raising awareness for these internship programs, and volunteer coaching and mentoring. You can find some resources at icma.org, but also check with your state, regional, provincial, or country professional management association.
Thanks again to our partners in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Kenya, Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Mexico, and China, for sharing their internship stories!
ROB CARTY is the director of career and equity advancement at ICMA (rcarty@icma.org).
“The
City Manager
City of Willits,
Credentialing
Brian P. Bender
Important takeaways from ICMA’s Second Annual Equity Summit, including how to sustain your organization’s commitment to advancing racial equity in local government, how you can leverage your budget in your equity efforts, and how to break through barriers to success you may encounter along the way.
BY JESSI ATCHESON
Keep up the momentum going within your organization by normalizing, operationalizing, and organizing equity efforts.
For ICMA’s second annual Equity Summit: Ready or Not! Moving from Discourse to Action, Leon T. Andrews Jr., president and CEO of Equal Measure, delivered a compelling keynote that begged the question; “Two years after George Floyd, how do you sustain commitment to advancing racial equity in local government?” While such brazen acts of racism that take place on a global stage inspire change and action in that moment, there is no denying that keeping that momentum can be difficult. Andrews addresses this and just how to keep the fire burning within your organization by normalizing, operationalizing, and organizing equity efforts.
The natural first step is to normalize racial equity in your organization, fostering the urgency of equity and making it a priority. One way to foster that urgency is by pointing out racial disparities and how those disparities can negatively impact those in the community you serve. Everything from infant mortality to life expectancy and everything in between can be predicted by race. Bridging these disparities requires the closing of these proverbial gaps so that race no longer predicts one’s success, which will naturally improve outcomes for all. Targeted strategies must be deployed to zero in on improvements for those who are worse off, moving beyond service delivery and focusing on the root causes like policies, institutions, and systems.
Further normalizing racial equity involves creating a shared analysis and language about racism and equity. This involves clarifying equity-focused terms and examples so that everyone is on the same page for future discussions surrounding equity. Some terms and examples that are important to clarify are equality and equity; equality meaning to provide everyone with the same thing, while equity is to provide based on needs. Another term that is helpful to clarify is bias, both implicit (unconscious or unintentional) and explicit (conscious or intentional), and how to acknowledge and take action to mitigate bias. Arguably, the most important terms to familiarize yourself and organization with are the different forms of racism and how those contribute to the racial disparities we see today. Individual racism (bias or discrimination by a single individual), institutional racism (policies and procedures that work better for white people), and structural racism (combining all institutions, making a system that negatively impacts POC) collectively contribute to the disparities that local government leaders have both a moral and economic obligation to dismantle for the betterment of the communities they serve.
Once the need for racial equity is identified and normalized, the next step is to operationalize. This involves taking action through the use of racial equity tools and gathering/analyzing data to
identify the strategies that will yield better outcomes for POC to reduce racial inequities. Racial equity tools are essential to this process because they actively insert racial equity into every step of the decisionmaking process.
Racial equity tools equally act as both a product and a process. Once a racial equity tool (the “product”) like a budget equity tool has been implemented, the process surrounding the use of that tool entails analyzing the data that you gathered with the help of that tool, developing strategies for racial equity based on your analysis, implementing the plan derived from your strategies, being communicative and holding yourself and others accountable throughout the
process, and yielding your desired results. It is important to note that the process does not stop there. It is meant to continue so that the desired outcomes persist, and equity is both achieved and maintained.
Once operationalized, the final step is organizing for racial equity. This involves developing a capacity for racial equity across all departments and resourcing the work through partnership, training, intentional structure, and process. Intentionality is key here, especially when building teams (core teams, departmental teams, interdepartmental teams, etc.) that will hold your organization accountable
for continuing to advance racial equity work and not lose the critical momentum you worked so hard to build. Accountability agreements, departmental work plans, performance reviews, the continued use of racial equity tools, and institution-wide work plans are all great ways to sustain racial equity work in your organization. It also helps to partner with other organizations like Equal Measure in order to get outside feedback, assistance, and support in continuing this essential work.
Furthermore, organizing around different groups is essential to getting the type of response you want. There are four main groups in this work: advocates (supporters),
followers (shows up, but not as active), skeptics (has many questions), and resistors (opponents), it is important to tailor your messaging to address each of these groups to either make them stronger supporters, inspire action, address their concerns, or make them less resistant to these initiatives. Overall, it is important to convey that good governance largely depends on racial equity. That achieving racial equity will ultimately result in meeting key community goals in other areas besides equity. This work will promote the health, safety, and overall prosperity of the entire community you serve, which is every local government leader’s number one priority.
How can you leverage the budget to advance equity in your community?
While proper planning and passion for this essential work is important, ample funding is needed to turn equity expectations into reality.
For ICMA’s second annual Equity Summit: Ready or Not!
Moving from Discourse to Action, Chris Fabian, co-founder of RESOURCEX, dove into the mechanics of how getting better budget proposals can make all the difference in advancing equity, by giving these initiatives the funding they need to succeed.
Through a combination of better budget development plans and readily available resources to fund solutions, utilizing the budget to advance equity is within reach!
Leveraging the budget to advance equity initiatives all begins with better budget requests. A budget proposal tailored to equity cannot be passed if it’s not presented in the first place, so fostering a system for better budget proposals is key.
A typical budget development process is as follows: a fiscal reality check where the tone of the budget season is set, budget instructions are deployed, budget requests are due, budget proposal presentations take place, deliberations on proposals are held, recommendations are made, and finally, the budget is approved. In order to achieve the end result of equity initiatives being woven into the budget, equity needs to be amplified as a top organizational priority in the beginning stages of the budget development process.
To keep things fresh and relevant, an audit of current programs needs to take place, determining what each program does, how much each one costs, and their impact on equity. Once there is a full analysis of current programs, an action plan must be developed to determine how to best meet equity goals.
The equity action plan will paint a clear picture of what your organization should do more of, less of, and what new programs should be offered to achieve organizational priorities. This thorough process will garner far more game-changing proposals tailored to your organization’s clearly expressed equity goals.
Before resources can be deployed to proposed programs, each proposal should be scored based on metrics like feasibility, equity, eligibility, climate impact, community feedback, complexity, and anything else your organization holds as a priority. Once a score has been allocated to each proposed program, these proposals can be prioritized using a tiered system. Tiers one and two should include programs that have the most immediate impact, are ready to implement, and are highly important. Tiers three and four should include programs that are also highly important, but may not be as urgent or ready to implement. Beyond tier four includes programs that may not be as high on your organization’s list of priorities or may not be feasible within the time frame. In addition to the scoring process, a peer review of proposals should take place so outside feedback is given on the importance of each proposal, and that feedback can be considered.
Once proposals that champion equity have been scored, reviewed, and selected, resources are needed to breathe life into them. Scores allocated to each proposal by the department can be compared to the peer review scores to see how closely they align. Once a comparison has been made, prioritize spending based on which proposals scored the highest. Resources should then be reallocated as needed to give appropriate funding to each proposal. This way, funding is equitably dispersed among the programs that need it most.
ICMA’s second annual Equity Summit covers how you can leverage the budget to advance equity in your community.
spearhead these initiatives, many default to believing that those involved in this work are predominantly Black or indigenous people of color (BIPOC), when in reality, equity work is just as important, if not more, for white people to pursue. ICMA hosted its latest Courageous Conversation at ICMA’s second annual Equity Summit: Ready or Not! Moving from Discourse to Action, which covered the importance of doing the work while white. Moderated by Marc Ott, ICMA CEO and executive director, this insightful panel of local government leaders came together to share their unique perspectives about breaking into diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work; building their credibility; helping themselves and others get over their fears; and their greatest hopes for the future of DEI work.
Since BIPOC are those who are most directly impacted by equity initiatives, their reasons for being involved in DEI work comes from a deeply personal place. But for white people, there is typically a wider variety of reasons as to why they find themselves involved in this work, and this panel is no different. Each panel member has diverse reasons for diving into DEI, whether it be after addressing and dismantling years of their own personal bias, all the way to experiencing inequities themselves.
For panel member James Bennett, ICMA-CM, city manager, Biddeford, Maine, his experience participating in Leadership ICMA gave him the epiphany that he had been doing everything wrong up until that point, and that systemic
racism distorted his views. Once Bennett came to terms with his own unconscious bias and privilege, he began unlearning those warped ways of thinking. While coming to such realizations as an adult can present its own set of challenges, it can also light a fire to dismantle the very systems that cloaked one’s viewpoints for so long.
On the other hand, gaining a passion for DEI work from a young age can spark the long-burning passion that these initiatives really need. That is just the case for panel member Aimee Kane, equity program manager, Boulder, Colorado.
Growing up in more diverse Denver, Colorado, and then moving to the predominantly white Boulder, Colorado, was a pivotal experience for Kane, who made fast friends with a young Black girl who she witnessed being teased for the color of her skin. This inspired Kane to do her part to make life fairer for all, so taking on the role as equity program manager within the very city that inspired her passion for the work was a natural fit.
Equity is everyone’s business, but complacency can be common for those who do not frequently experience inequities themselves. Panel member Phil Smith-Hanes, ICMA-CM, county administrator, Saline County, Kansas, is a gay man who has experienced his fair share of inequities, but did not realize just how much he needed to learn. Joining the ICMA Equity Officers Cohort opened his eyes to the Black experience and helped him look at his community through a racial lens. Each member of this panel joined the fight for equity for very different reasons, but what was more important than how they got here, was that each of them showed up and continue to show up, taking on the critical title of “ally ” to help propel the work forward.
Equity is everyone’s business, but it is largely up to white people to prioritize this essential work to help foster change in other white people.
A common fear associated with doing DEI work while white is for oneself and others to question their credibility or intentions. While Smith-Hanes acknowledges that lived experience certainly helps, he clarifies that none of us can be “everything.” Looking at DEI work through different sets of lenses is essential, and white people hearing about the importance of this work from someone who looks like them makes a huge impact.
Bennett echoed that sentiment and further explained that many white individuals see racism as isolated incidents, while BIPOC see racism as systems put in place to work against them over and over again. Merging those views is paramount to creating change, and it takes both BIPOC and white people being involved in this work to help do that.
Understanding that white people need to be involved in the DEI process is just the beginning. White people also need to earn that credibility from their coworkers and communities of color. Kane asserts that many BIPOC have been burned by white people removing themselves from the work when things get hard. Being authentic in the work and willing to earn that credibility will help instill that much-needed trust. From there, continuing to learn and build relationships while moving forward will strengthen credibility and trust from the community.
Fear is a very natural emotion associated with diving into DEI work. There is a certain degree of vulnerability that is experienced, but Ott expressed that you cannot do the job out of fear, and you cannot fear to do the job. So, how do you help yourself and others get over that fear?
The fear of “getting it wrong” is common, so allowing yourself to get hung up on perfection does nothing but slow the process. To circumvent this, Bennett created a structured
program within his organization that acts as a safe space to be uncomfortable together. Through Boulder’s train-the-trainer program, Kane stresses the importance of meeting people where they are and not letting perfectionism get in the way. Furthermore, she points out that this hard work is also “heart” work, and you must keep at it to make the change you want to see. Overcoming the natural fears to dive right in can be challenging, but that is not an excuse to do nothing.
While this work entails overcoming fears, vulnerability, and obstacles, it is important to not lose sight of our hopes for a more equitable future. Each panelist shared his and her hopes for their efforts, as well as the collective efforts of everyone who does their part to advance equity. Smith-Hanes hopes to develop greater understanding and empathy for BIPOC, while Bennett looks to love his community and have his community love him back. Kane closed out this thought-provoking session with the hope that she will one day work herself out of a job and there will no longer be a need for an equity manager. These are hopes that everyone can sympathize with and work collectively to achieve.
JESSI ATCHESON is a marketing coordinator at ICMA (jatcheson@icma.org).
Equity is everyone’s business, but it is largely up to white people to prioritize this essential work to help foster change in other white people. Making the transition from unconscious participants to active change agents is the type of allyship that is needed most during these times. Things are changing, and being on the right side of those changes is where we all want to be to see the progress we want to see. If you need help mapping the next steps of your equity journey, look to ICMA’s Equity Resource Hub at icma.org/race-equity-and-social-justice.
ecruitment
and retention have always been key areas of focus for employers, whether in the public or private sector. However, a confluence of factors in the past several years has made the issue of greater urgency than ever, especially for city and county managers and human resource (HR) professionals working in state and local government.
State and local government workers are older on average than those in the private sector, with a median age of 45 years as of 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey. While the Great Recession of 2008–2009 saw many public sector workers delaying their retirement plans, this trend has reversed in recent years. In 2009, 12% of state and local government HR professionals surveyed indicated that their retirement-eligible employees had accelerated their plans for retirement in the past year.1 In 2022, that number had jumped to 53%, more than twice as high as it was just two years prior in 2020.
One key factor likely contributing to this acceleration in plans for retirement is the stress and burnout that public sector employees have been feeling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a November/December 2021 MissionSquare Research Institute survey of 1,100 state and local government employees, 44% of respondents reported that they are feeling stressed while at work about the pandemic; 42% reported feeling burned out.2
The same survey found that 52% of state and local workers are considering leaving their jobs voluntarily due to COVID-19, either to change jobs, to retire, or leave the workforce entirely.3 Essentially, if you’re a public sector employee and you’re not considering leaving your job, then the person sitting next to you is.
And when these employees do leave, many positions are not necessarily easy to fill. In fact, this is a task that has only become more difficult in recent years. In the aforementioned 2022 survey of HR professionals, 65% identified positions such as nursing, engineering, policing, skilled trades, dispatch and IT as hard to fill.4 In 2015, fewer than 10% of HR professionals surveyed had reported most of these positions as hard to fill.
One strategy that public sector employers can use to help recruit the next generation of state and local government employees is to develop and implement workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Successful DEI programs and activities can have benefits for employers, employees, and the community at large, including:
• Improved employee recruitment and retention efforts.
• Improved workforce culture and morale.
• Better ability to address community needs.
• Increased diversity of perspectives across an organization.
• Better ability to engage with diverse constituencies within a community.
• More creative and innovative thinking from employees.
• Increased employee productivity.
Two very concrete examples of the benefits of DEI efforts are that redacting personal information from the initial consideration of job applications can result in twice as many diverse candidates being interviewed, and that employees feeling accepted correlates to a 56% improvement in their job performance.
For a more in-depth discussion of the importance of workforce DEI for state and local government, historical and current trends, and the impact that workforce DEI initiatives can have on employers, employees, and the larger community, see the 2021 MissionSquare Research
Institute report, “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Public Service Workforce.”5
Workforce DEI programs and policies may be formal or informal in nature, and can be related to hiring (e.g., regular review of job specifications to eliminate non-job-related minimum standards for education or experience), training and development (e.g., DEI training programs and events for employees beyond what may be offered during new employee onboarding), pay and benefits (e.g., policies that promote gender equity by providing paid family leave and/or work flexibility for childcare needs), and other issues (e.g., programs or policies to promote inclusivity in facilities and employee work environments).
Recruiting young, diverse employees and bringing them into an equitable and inclusive environment can
Spring 2022 MissionSquare Research Institute/Lead For America survey
help accomplish multiple goals. Perhaps one of the most compelling reasons to consider workforce DEI programs and policies as a recruitment tool is that it is what young people with an interest in public service are looking for when it comes to workplace culture.
In a spring 2022 MissionSquare Research Institute/Lead For America survey of local government fellowship applicants (full results to be released in a forthcoming report), more than three in four (77%) applicants said that it was ‘very important’ that their next workplace is mindful of creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all identities. This even outranked other factors such as developing professional skills and helping with career advancement.
But what about the challenges that employers face in recruiting a diverse workforce?
In a recent MissionSquare Research Institute survey of 353 HR decision-makers in local government and
K-12 education, the most frequently reported barrier to implementing workforce DEI programs and policies at an organization was a lack of diverse candidates within the local labor market.6 The vast majority (87%) of respondents surveyed cited this as a barrier; 66% considered it a significant barrier.
While there may be a lack of diverse candidates when it comes to those who visually appear different than the majority of a given community’s workforce, HR decision-makers can work to ensure that they are considering the range of diverse aspects of a job candidate, some of which are more or less visible to those around them. Diversity can include, but is not limited to, categories as wide-ranging as race, ethnicity, age, gender, LGBTQIA+ identification, veteran status, differences in mobility/physical abilities, and cognitive diversity.
Employers can use a combination of traditional and non-traditional channels to attract diverse candidates. In addition to methods such as social media, advertising on government websites or profession-specific media, job fairs, and employee referrals, employers can also look to sources such as academic institutions and other partner organizations, internships and apprenticeships, and outreach to specific neighborhoods or demographic groups. They can also consider how flexible or hybrid staffing models may open opportunities to appeal to diverse candidates outside their immediate labor market.
In a focus group consisting of a subset of respondents to the MissionSquare Research Institute survey of public
77% of applicants say that it’s ‘very important’ that their next workplace is mindful of creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all identities. This even outranked other factors such as developing professional skills and helping with career advancement.
sector HR decision-makers
(full results to be released in a forthcoming report), one employee of a mid-sized local government described the need for utilizing multiple channels—and new channels—for recruiting diverse candidates as follows:
“[A few years ago for a department director position,] I got almost 100 applications. More recently, we posted for another director, and there were fewer than 10. [It’s not about diversity for diversity’s sake.] It’s more about who are we not reaching? You need to speak louder and wider and broader and attract more people to your organization. What are our other channels? How are we limited by our own thinking? How can we improve the volume, the diversity, et cetera, of our recruiting pool, of our talent pool, to figure out what is it that we’re not doing? Where are we not posting? Who are we not talking to? How might we potentially be turning certain people off? All that sort of thing. Is that partnering with different colleges or community groups and things like that? Yes. Attacking processes, seeing if they could be improved? Yes. It’s formal and informal. But it’s a stated objective, and it’s on my plate right now.”
Across the country, state and local government employers are utilizing innovative strategies to recruit a more diverse workforce.
The state of North Carolina recently launched a pilot program to help people with autism succeed in public sector work.7 The program, through the state’s partnership with two nonprofit organizations, provides up to five hours per year of individual career coaching to state employees
with autism spectrum disorder. Neurodivergent employees receive guidance through the coaching on job interviews,8 developing career goals, and interpersonal interactions and management skills to boost their effectiveness with colleagues and supervisors.
In the city of Chillicothe, Ohio, the Chillicothe City School District (CCSD) is partnering with the Ross County NAACP in an effort to attract Black educators to the county and recruit a workforce that is more representative of the community served.9 The CCSD and Ross County NAACP are utilizing multiple approaches to recruit more Black educators. These include interviewing Black educators who have left the CCSD to better understand how the school could improve its support of future teachers, inviting members of the NAACP to engage with Black educators during recruitment visits to colleges, and pairing new teachers with mentors to help them acclimate to life in Chillicothe.
In Connecticut, as the state deals with an unprecedented wave of retirements, largely due to new changes in employee pension and retirement benefits, the state legislature formed a task force to develop a plan for filling the newly open positions with more women and people of color.10 The legislature is currently exploring potential changes to increase workforce diversity, such as writing more inclusive job postings and casting a wide net when recruiting for open positions.11
In the end, recruiting a diverse workforce is an important first step. But it is just that—a first step. For
this diverse workforce to remain with their employer and to thrive, the workplace environment needs to be one that is also equitable and inclusive. It is when all three of these components are in place that state and local governments are best positioned to be employers of choice for the next generation of public sector workers.
Is your jurisdiction engaged in workforce DEI programs? Have you been able to evaluate the success of these programs? Do you have lessons learned that could be useful to other city and county managers? If you would like to share your story, please email the MissionSquare Research Institute team at research@missionsq.org.
MissionSquare Research Institute promotes excellence in state and local government and other public service organizations to attract and retain talented employees. The organization identifies leading practices and conducts research on retirement plans, health and wellness benefits, workforce demographics and skill set needs, labor force development, and topics facing the not-for-profit industry and education sector. MissionSquare Research Institute brings together leaders and respected researchers. More information and access to research and publications are available at https://mission-sq.org/ researchinstitute.
MissionSquare Retirement is dedicated to guiding those who serve our communities toward a secure and confident
financial future. Founded in 1972, MissionSquare
Retirement is a missionbased, nonstock, nonprofit, financial services company with approximately $70 billion in assets under management and administration, focused on delivering retirement plans, investment options, and personalized guidance to more than 1.6 million people working in public service.* For 50 years, our mission has been constant—to help those who serve reach their retirement goals with confidence.
*As of June 30, 2022
1 https://slge.org/wp-content/ uploads/2022/06/2022workforce.pdf
2 https://slge.org/wp-content/ uploads/2022/03/public-workforce-andcovid-march2022.pdf
3 https://slge.org/wpcontent/uploads/2022/01/ greatresignationinfographic.pdf
4 https://slge.org/wp-content/ uploads/2022/06/2022workforce.pdf
5 https://slge.org/wp-content/ uploads/2021/09/deireport_092421.pdf
6 https://slge.org/wp-content/ uploads/2022/04/managing-lgworkforce-dei-part1_survey-data.pdf
7 https://oshr.nc.gov/nccares
8 https://www.route-fifty.com/healthhuman-services/2022/07/north-carolinalaunches-pilot-program-support-stateworkers-autism/368936/
9 https://www.chillicothegazette.com/ story/news/2022/07/17/naacp-partnerschillicothe-city-schools-hire-blackeducators/7632326001/
10 https://www.cga.ct.gov/2022/fc/ pdf/2022HB-05441-R000418-FC.pdf
11 https://www.route-fifty.com/ management/2022/07/nearly-5000connecticut-state-employees-retiredmonth-officials-view-exodus-opportunitycreate-more-diverse-workforce/374044/
PHD is senior research manager at MissionSquare Research Institute, where she conducts quantitative and qualitative research on state and local government retirement plans, health and wellness benefits, and workforce demographics and skill-set needs.
As an example, Dashboard data and maps can help identify that federal funding should be prioritized in places like Chihuahuita, in order to bridge the digital divide and provide affordable and equal access to broadband.
“You may think that you want to get right back to work but trust me, once you do, you will wish you had more time at home.”
These wise words were passed on to me by Tom Carroll, city manager of Cambridge, Maryland. He was one of the many managers, colleagues, consultants, vendors, friends, and complete strangers who contacted me after hearing that I had separated from my village administrator role in 2021. Some let me vent, others offered ideas on what to do next, and a few gave me leads for open positions, while others reviewed and critiqued my resume and talked through potential interview questions as I prepared for my next adventure.
To anyone considering a career in local government management, I would absolutely and wholeheartedly advise you to build your network. Attend conferences, engage in regional meetings, talk to your neighboring communities, and get to know other managers in your state association. These relationships are critical to your mental health and sustainability in this line of work. Politics change, finances shift, community needs evolve, and you need to be ready to reach out to “your people,” as my husband says, when you sense that change may be in the air.
It is equally important to secure a good employment contract that protects you and your family from unforeseen circumstances. It is much easier to look for the right job while you still have health benefits and/or a regular salary versus accepting the first job that comes along because you need to make ends meet. Talk to other managers and ask them if they would be willing to share their contracts with you. You may be surprised at the response you get. This profession truly is about working together for the greater good, for our communities, and for our colleagues.
After the initial shock of my transition, I called my region’s senior advisor, read our state association’s Managers in Transition Guide from cover to cover multiple times and took some time for myself and for my family. I had no idea how toxic my situation had become and the impact that it had taken on my health. I spent the spring in the garden and taking lots of walks in the woods. I spent the summer at the pool with my kids and going to various festivals and events that I never would have been able to attend while I was working. I prayed—a lot—joined the church choir, helped my family’s glass shop business, slept in, breathed deeply, and enjoyed the peace.
Tom’s words were so very true. At the time I didn’t believe him because I was angry about the situation and concerned about my next move. However, having many seasoned managers who had been through their own transitions talking to me and advising me on how best to handle my own transition made all the difference. When I was hired by Miami County, Ohio, as their county administrator, life began moving at a furious pace. While I was excited and humbled to have been chosen for this new role, I was also a bit sad about going back to work and shifting the time I had been spending on other priorities in my life.
The vast majority of local government managers care about the successes and accomplishments of their colleagues. We find joy in knowing that our group is doing well and thriving in our various communities. When one of us falters, it is truly amazing to watch others flock to provide assistance, advice, a shoulder, or an ear. If you know of someone going through a transition, consider picking up the phone or sending an email. You never know the full impact of your words or actions, and while it may seem like a small thing to you, it could be incredibly important to the recipient. Transitions are hard, emotional, messy, and generally defeating. But keep your head up because most times you will not only land on your feet, you will be in a much better position than the one you left behind. Most importantly, take time for yourself and your own healing so you are ready when the right door opens.
CHARLOTTE COLLEY is county administrator of Miami County, Ohio.
H Add a Veteran to your staff to bring fresh perspective to your biggest challenges.
H Shorten the hiring process with no-cost access to pre-screened Service Members.
H Bring valuable skills and experience into your organization.
H Help break down barriers of bias against Veterans by making them a part of your team.
H Invest in the future.
“The Veterans Local Government Management Fellowship has been a great opportunity to support a transitioning service member while also growing the local government profession. Our fellow has been a great team member who is adept at solving problems and working with limited resources. I can’t say enough good things about the program and I encourage other City Managers to sign up to host a fellow.”
Joyce Shannahan, City Manager, Ormond Beach, Florida
“As a Retired Navy Captain, I understand the challenges that separating service members face when they transition from a career in the military to the civilian workforce. These young men and women are educated, talented, and bring a diverse set of skills to the table and it is my pleasure to be able to help them gain hands on experience in the local government profession.”
Chris Phillips, Director of Development Services, Mount Vernon, Washington
program
icma.org/vlgmf.
With people of all abilities— whether it’s a disability that is legally defined under the ADA, or it’s just something they struggle with—I think the most important action that local government leaders can take is to focus on strengths instead of deficits. There’s been so much research done on this from a management perspective. Putting effort into trying to fix a deficit or perceived weakness gains you very little. Put that same energy into someone’s strengths and helping develop them.
You just have to keep trying to find the right fit. I typically apply for about 50 jobs before I get one positive outcome. Part of it is because of my background and career path; it’s a little circuitous, which is not uncommon for someone with ADHD. But if you keep trying, you will come across someone who’s going to see what you have to offer as a gem and a strength, so you just have to keep trying.
I see my responsibility as helping people see their potential, whether it be personal potential or career potential. Sometimes it’s pushing the little baby bird out of the nest and encouraging them to go back and get their degree or to speak at a conference to share their knowledge. Seeing others succeed has really been something that helps me feel I’ve made a difference.
Whenever I’m starting to think that I am the only one who’s struggling with a certain issue, here comes ICMA with social media posts, articles in PM, or some sort of training that addresses the issue I’m facing. It really helps me get out of my own little personal world of thinking that I’m the only one struggling with a certain issue. Smaller agencies can really struggle with those resources and ICMA really helps to fill those gaps.
General Manager of a Wastewater District in Southern California
