In 2003, ICMA launched the Next Gen Initiative in anticipation of a critical shortage of qualified public managers to fill the positions vacated by boomer-generation retirements and a much smaller cohort of young talent. The result was the introduction of such initiatives as the Local Government Fellows program, ICMA Student Chapters in the MPA programs, a partnership with NASPAA to recruit ICMA members for NASPAA’s accrediting teams, and the ICMA Coaching Program. These initiatives have bolstered the pipeline of talent for the city and county management profession.

Following ICMA’s lead, in 2014 the Texas City Management Association (TCMA) established the City Managers of Tomorrow Committee, a standing committee with the mission to “encourage and support individuals interested in pursuing a career as a city manager by providing them with educational opportunities, mentorship, and networking connections.”

In fact, TCMA has had a long-term commitment to filling the pipeline of talent. In 1956, TCMA established the Clarence Ridley Scholarship, which provides funding to two graduate students enrolled in public administration at a Texas university.  Ridley was ICMA’s executive director for 27 years, 1929-1956. As of this year, 103 students have received the award including former San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros. Subsequently, in 1989 TCMA established the William “King” Cole Effective Local Government Series that provides workshops on the rudiments of city management.

The creation of the City Managers of Tomorrow Committee in 2014 signaled a more ambitious effort to attract, equip, and mentor talented and dedicated managers to fill the state’s more than 350 city administrator positions. (Most of the state’s approximately 350 home-rule cities use the council-manager form of government.) The committee initially launched the Manager-in-Partnership (MIP) program to connect a local government manager with undergraduate and graduate programs in nearby universities and colleges. Currently, 15 public universities host an MIP, all of whom offer a specialization in local government management in their MPA program or its equivalent. 

The Bush School at Texas A&M has added former city manager Paul A. Hofmann as associate professor of the practice. As a result of a large gift, the Department of Public Administration at the University of North Texas has established the George Schrader Professor of Practice in Local Government Management. As city manager of Dallas from 1972 to 1981, Schrader had a significant impact during a period marked by economic growth including the development of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and the Dallas Arts District.

In 2019, the City Managers of Tomorrow Committee launched its most ambitious initiative—the Intercollegiate Bowl (ICB). This competition involves each participating Texas university sending a team of five or more students to TCMA’s annual conference, usually held in June or July, and that attracts more than 700 delegates. To increase interest in student membership, TCMA’s board approved making membership available to students at no charge. 

The initial competition was in June 2019, but the COVID epidemic forced suspending the annual conference until 2023. Competitions resumed in 2023 and 2024. With each iteration of the competition, members of the committee, in consultation with the 15 representatives from the state’s graduate programs in public administration, have refined the “contests” in the ICB.

For the 2025 competition, each university must preregister with TCMA and provide the names of its team members. A university may send more than five team members, but for certain events, a maximum of five team members may participate. The intent is to equalize the opportunity for smaller MPA programs with the larger ones. 

The guidelines do not restrict competition to graduate programs although, with one exception, all participating teams have been from graduate programs in public administration. In 2024, a well-regarded undergraduate program in criminal justice fielded a team that performed quite well in the competition.

The 2025 guidelines provide for eight “contests,” each with a maximum number of points. Some of the contests are completed in the semester or weeks before the TCMA conference. For example, this year Contest #2 requires each team member, up to a maximum of five, to make a connection through LinkedIn or email with at least five city administrators (city managers, assistant city managers, or department heads). Teams can earn a maximum of 125 points for this contest. 

Contest #3 involves up to five team members each arranging for a coaching meeting (mock interview, career counseling, resume critique) with a manager from one of the three levels of city administration. Teams can earn 50 points for each coaching session up to a maximum of 250 points. 

Contest #4 is a community service project, completed before the conference, and documented in photos and narratives displayed on a poster at the TCMA conference. All team members may participate and help document the project. Posters are judged by members of the City Managers of Tomorrow Committee for a maximum of 100 points for each team. Contest #5 is a capstone or year-end course project completed as part of the degree requirements. Projects are displayed on the team table next to the community service project at the TCMA conference. It is likewise judged by members of the committee with a maximum of 100 points.

Throughout the conference, a centrally located board displays each team’s score. Regular updates to the scoreboard pique the interest of conference attendees, particularly whenever the lead changes. 

The culminating event is Contest #6, a Trivia Game that tests participants knowledge of local government, and particularly policies that apply to Texas cities. The event is scheduled for the last day of the conference before the closing ceremony. The event attracts a large crowd of alumni from universities participating in the contest. Each team enters the conference room with its university’s fight song broadcast over the loudspeaker and a great deal of cheering by alumni and team members. 

Each team then takes its place at the front of the room with up to five members from each competing university standing in front of a microphone and a buzzer. 

For the past three years, a Jeopardy format was used. The categories included such options as city finances, land use and planning, human resources, ethics, and city governance. As with the TV version, the MC reads a question and if answered correctly, the team gets the appropriate number of points. The more difficult the question is, the higher the number of points. 

Scoring for the game is TBD. The open-ended number of points gives every team an opportunity to triumph. The key, however, is student preparation for the contest. The competitive spirit of most graduate students motivates them to master material that they probably would not have otherwise covered.

The Trivia Game is the last contest, and the winner of the ICB is determined once the game is over. The 2025 ICB has three other contests, but their contribution to the total score is minor compared to the Trivia Game. Scores are tallied at the conclusion of the Trivia Game, and one university is crowned champion. Its name is etched on the Intercollegiate Bowl Trophy, providing a perpetual log of its victory. 

If additional state associations were to follow suit and introduce an ICB-like contest, ICMA or NASSPAA or the two organizations working together may want to host a regional contest as part of their conferences. (The two associations tend to schedule their conferences close to each other.) The contest’s structure could provide multiple winners and encourage collaboration across MPA programs. 

The initiatives by state associations and ICMA to stimulate interest in careers in local government have not only helped in sustaining a pipeline of talent but helped bolster enrollments in MPA programs. Continued cooperation between academics and local managers through their respective institutions offers intriguing opportunities to create initiatives that bolster their mutual interests.