The ICMA Executive Board met in Little Rock, Arkansas, December 10-13, 2015 and took the following actions:
- Engaged in a joint meeting with the Strategic Planning Task force to review the draft environmental scan and develop consensus on the most significant forces and drivers impacting local government, the profession, and the Association (including trends and drivers, strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats). The Board also provided feedback and approved the Task Force’s proposed Communications and Member Engagement Plan. The following day, the Task Force met on its own to form committees for the next phase of their work which is to draft proposed strategies for the Association. In the coming months, beginning with the Spring Regional Summits, these committees will solicit feedback from ICMA members in the development of the proposed strategies.
- Approved almost all of the recommendations from the Task Force on Strengthening Inclusiveness in the Profession which were presented to the board at its meeting in September. The thirty-member Task Force, which first convened at the 2014 Annual Conference, was asked to develop short- and long-term recommendations for the ICMA Executive Board that were designed to help achieve the membership’s core value of being an inclusive association and profession. A future article will outline plans for implementation.
- Approved building on and growing the foundational Life, Well Run campaign with the implementation of a Life, Well Run digital media campaign, Life, Well Run 2.0. The overall objectives of the campaign continue to be
- Building awareness and understanding of the importance of professional city, town, and county managers, and
- Attracting students to the profession.
A major contribution from ICMA-RC and continued support from state associations and members, will fund activities including the following:
- Creating a series of video profiles highlighting the dedication of local government staff in a range of positions.
- Optimizing the Life, Well Run website to increase its mobile responsiveness and to facilitate the addition of a video profile channel.
- Working with ICMA-RC to integrate their outreach strategies with current Life, Well Run outreach to complement the existing campaign while connecting viewers to ICMA-RC.
- Received a presentation on ICMA Global Programs with particular focus on the history and mission of ICMA International funded programs; aspects of the program’s business strategy and tactics; and an overview of current projects and their programmatic successes.
- Approved the appointment of Andy Pederson, Village Manager, Bayside, Wisconsin to the Alliance for Innovation Board of Directors to complete a four-year term through December 31, 2017.
- Participated in a tour of Little Rock conducted by city staff.
