ICMA’s Tranter-Leong Fellowship and John Garvey Scholarship offer unparalleled professional opportunities to members seeking the benefits of worldwide learning, knowledge exchange, and global engagement. ICMA members have historically traveled to different corners of the world as recipients of either award, including The Netherlands, Mexico, Nepal, Japan, and beyond. Through these opportunities, members interact with other local government professionals to learn about how different communities navigate change and practice good governance. They often return feeling invigorated, inspired, and equipped to create long-lasting change at home. 

Members of ICMA’s Global Engagement Committee review the applications each award cycle and select the award recipients. This year, the committee has granted three awards.

Hear From the Award Recipients

Cole Haselip, management analyst, Wheatridge, Colorado, will travel as a Tranter-Leong recipient to Australia and New Zealand, where he will participate in a professional exchange designed to explore how other communities are tackling key governance challenges. 

Haselip connected with New Zealand’s Horowhenua District Council and Queenstown Lake District Council, as well as Australia’s Georges River Council. These connections were facilitated by ICMA Strategic Ally Organizations, Taituarā and LGPA NSW. With New Zealand’s Horowhenua District Council, Haselip will explore a commitment to inclusive governance and the District’s efforts to balance the preservation of heritage and culture with rapid transformation. In Queenstown Lake District, he will learn how the Council manages strains on infrastructure, increased public safety costs, and other general risks related to hyper-tourism. In Australia, he will share strategies on strengthening community trust and harmonizing service delivery models with a suburban council that parallels his own.

"I’m deeply grateful to ICMA and the selection committee for this incredible opportunity. I’m especially excited to build lasting relationships with host communities in Australia and New Zealand, and to learn from each other’s experiences in local government. We're half a world apart but navigating many of the same challenges."

Salma Rashid, budget and management analyst, Durham, North Carolina, will shadow the Arusha City Council in Tanzania as a Tranter-Leong Fellow. She is eager to learn more about different organizational structures and budget development processes, and to exchange ideas on generating efficiency and innovation when building a budget. As an ICMA Local Government Management Fellow,  she was first connected to the Arusha City Council through the Sister Cities relationship that Durham maintains with Arusha. She believes in cross-cultural learning as a means of advancing local government, and is excited to share insights with her home community and the ICMA membership upon her return.

“I love learning and connecting with people outside of my day-to-day sphere. There is so much about working in local government that I have not experienced and I'm excited and grateful to have the opportunity to embrace the perspectives of other professionals who have made changes and built their communities in ways that I may not otherwise witness.”

Adib Altallal, utilities engineer, Tukwila, Washington, will travel as a John Garvey Scholar to the United Kingdom to attend the annual conference of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (SOLACE). SOLACE is a strategic ally of ICMA. Altallal will join the ICMA delegation to attend one of the premier events for public sector leadership in the United Kingdom. This year’s conference will explore themes such as resiliency in public service and innovation in local governance. 

"I'm incredibly grateful to ICMA for this opportunity. Attending the SOLACE Summit will give me a broader perspective on how local governments around the world tackle the same challenges we face here at home."

Interested in Learning More?

While the John Garvey Scholarship will no longer be available after this year, in 2026, the Tranter-Leong Fellowship will open to ICMA members interested in enhancing their professional development. You don’t want to miss out on this one-of-a-kind chance to build global relationships, participate in knowledge exchange, and share best practices in local government. The $5,000 fellowship award can be used toward an experience outside of the applicant’s home country that proposes a project involving research, job shadowing in a host community, teaching, relationship building, and others. Stay tuned for information about the opening of the 2026 application cycle. Members with questions can email Sophie Weyn, assistant program manager, at sweyn@icma.org.