When I ask colleagues how they got started in our profession, the answer is often the same as my own: we participated in an internship or fellowship that inspired and tested us with real challenges and learning opportunities, and we established lasting relationships with great mentors. Since 2004, ICMA has worked with local governments such as yours to help provide this kind of opportunity. Through ICMA's Local Government Management Fellowship program we match communities with a pool of pre-screened candidates who are ready to work hard, learn, and take responsibility for leading our cities, towns, and counties into the future.

Applicants are screened for leadership potential, creativity, and commitment to public service by an advisory board of local government managers, academics, and alumni Fellows. Communities provide a detailed work plan and mentorship in salaried positions for one year. To date, 19 alumni of the LGMF program have secured positions as local government managers with many more in deputy manager and other senior positions. If cost is a concern for your jurisdiction, consider sharing a Fellow with a neighboring community.

As managers and senior staffers have begun to retire in greater numbers, we at ICMA are seeing more new faces at our annual conferences, at our Regional Summits, and on our membership rosters. One of our duties as torch-bearers of this profession is to recruit and inspire a new generation of managers. I hope you can help the profession and our communities prepare for tomorrow’s challenges by preparing a Fellow today.

Visit icma.org/lgmfhost, email lgmfprogram@icma.org or contact Rob Carty (rcarty@icma.org; 202-962-3560) with any questions. To have access to the 2017 pool of finalists, we will need your expression of interest by January 31, 2017.

Learn more about the LGMF and hear about the work Fellows can do for you in their own words; ICMA hosted a panel of Fellows in 2014 – you can listen to that recording at your leisure at vimeo.com/189167967.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the future of our profession.

Sincerely,

Bob O’Neill
Executive Director
ICMA