ICMA’s 14,000-plus members from around the world joined ICMA for various reasons, including networking opportunities, ethics advice, professional development, timely resources and content, state-of-the-art in-person events, and more. ICMA members gain unparalleled value from being a part of this community of local government professionals dedicated to good governance. 

Hear from two ICMA members about why they are ICMA.

Taylor Lough

Assistant City Manager, Anna, Texas, USA

My journey to local government feels like a Goldilocks story: the federal government was too big, the state government was still too big, but local government was just right. I first joined ICMA while attending graduate school at Indiana University, where I was part of a small cohort interested in local government. Professor Orville Powell (author, city manager, and lifetime member) introduced me to ICMA student membership as a way to explore the profession and potential career paths. After transferring to the University of North Texas, I remained close friends with other ICMA student members, and they continue to be part of my professional network.

Attending my first ICMA conference in Boston as a graduate student was a pivotal experience. The depth of the field and the unwavering support ICMA offers to members at every stage of their careers is both inspiring and energizing. Early in my career, I immersed myself in learning about the various lines of city business. ICMA’s Emerging Leaders Development Program became foundational to my professional growth.

ICMA has provided me with a global network of mentors and peers who have supported and encouraged me. Programs like the High Performance Leadership Academy and Regional Conferences (now known as Local Government Reimagined Conferences)—even one I attended with my three-month-old in tow—have profoundly shaped my development. I’ve applied my experience serving on the San Antonio conference planning committee to my work on the Texas City Management Association’s professional development committee.

Today, I am proud to give back through ICMA’s coaching program and the assistants committee. Supporting others as I was supported brings my journey full circle. As a welcome ambassador, I hope new members find the same sense of fulfillment and passion for public service that I have, thanks to ICMA’s enduring impact on my career and life.

Cameron McIntosh

Chief Executive, Southland District Council, Southland, New Zealand

Like many others, I came to local government work from the private sector. My experiences in the manufacturing and food business were useful, but the rhythms of local government were unfamiliar and, quite frankly, a bit hard to figure out. My first local government role was in infrastructure and services—the intersection between contractors, council, and the public. Over time, I learned the technical and procedural requirements of operating at a senior level in local government, but I was struggling to connect the specific work to a sense of purpose. I had joined the New Zealand association of local government managers, Taituarā (an ICMA strategic ally), who provided excellent support, and through that membership I got the opportunity to attend the ICMA conference in Milwaukee.

In ICMA I found an organization dedicated to the support and promotion of city managers. The role of city manager is unlike the private sector chief executive or the head of a government department. What I particularly value about being part of ICMA is the Code of Ethics to help navigate the manager/governance interface and the celebration of the public service ethos. Above all else, being part of ICMA is to be part of a global organization that is dedicated to serving our communities, now and into the future.