ICMA WELCOME AMBASSADORS
ICMA Welcome Ambassadors: Helping New Members Make Valuable Connections The personal side of a professional association Andrew S. Haines, ICMA-CM, MPA
Town Manager | Smyrna, Delaware
As chairperson of the Welcome Ambassador Committee, and a member of the committee for the past three years, I’ve seen that making new connections with members is beneficial for everyone. ICMA members are the true asset of the association and building relationships with new members is the core value of the committee. The 2018 ICMA Annual Conference in Baltimore was my first opportunity to serve on the committee, and I quickly discovered the many ways that we could help. Not comfortable with the new self-service checkin kiosks? We guided you through it. Lost or confused about where to go? We walked you to your destination. Nervous or overwhelmed? We greeted you with a smile and helped you feel at ease. Later that evening, the committee members served as professional greeters and helped break the ice at the reception for first-time conference attendees. (I think the committee members had more fun than the first-timers!) It’s not always easy to see exactly how Welcome Ambassadors have gotten through to new members, but you’re happy to have given them at least one new peer resource (yourself) and properly introduced them to the ICMA community. But the membership engagement we achieved at the conferences in Baltimore and Nashville exceeded my expectations, and I’m very much looking forward to Portland when we can do it all over again.
50 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | AUGUST 2021
Joseph T. Carey, ICMA-CM
Assistant Village Manager | Carol Stream, Illinois
I became a member of the Welcome Ambassador Committee in 2014, and have enjoyed being able to meet new members from across the country. I’ve been extremely fortunate to have experienced ICMA in a variety of ways. Whether it was serving on a Conference Planning Committee (Milwaukee) or Governmental Affairs and Policy Committee, or being a member of Leadership ICMA, I’m a firm believer in the values that ICMA stands for and the principles of good government. I consider it a privilege to offer a welcoming hand to individuals new to the profession and the ICMA community. My outreach to new members can sometimes be formulaic—in fact, I often call that out in my email! But there’s a reason for that. My messages espouse that professional associations, whether it be ICMA or a state affiliate, are vital to our profession. Our professional values are what tie us together and it’s those values that support, foster, and defend our role as civil servants and community leaders. It’s also an invaluable network of colleagues. During a recent interview for a state association board seat, I was asked why I was interested in pursuing the position. I shared what until recently I rarely spoke about: the time I nearly became a Member in Transition, and the appreciation I have for those professional colleagues who reached out when I needed them most. It’s why I’m a member of the Welcome Ambassador Committee and why I believe so strongly in paying it forward—not just for our communities, but to each other. Many years ago, I served Milwaukee County as a fiscal and management analyst. I was admittedly a small fish in a very large municipal pond, but I enjoyed the challenges
