If you are a thought leader committed to creating and supporting thriving communities, apply to become a member of the ICMA Leadership Institute on Race, Equity, and Inclusion sponsored by ICMA, the Kettering Foundation, and the National Civic League. The creation of this leadership institute supports the ICMA Executive Board's action steps announced in June 2020. Among other steps, the board specifically committed to
“Engage our members and partners in a process of listening in the coming weeks, with the purpose of understanding what our profession needs in order to deliver on the work of our mission and vision through the lens of equity and inclusion.”
Institute Purpose
- To explore the barriers to and identify how to start and continue community conversation about race, equity, and inclusion.
- To create a cohort of executives who will actively participate in an ongoing conversation, sharing challenges and successes in increasing equity and inclusion in local government and addressing racial issues.
- Participants will be representative of the diversity within ICMA and will be at the manager, assistant, or deputy level to create work that will benefit the most senior ICMA members and thus have the greatest impact on communities. Some exceptions may apply.
What You Can Expect
12- to 18-month Journey
- First in-person meeting will be at the ICMA Annual Conference, on the first day of the Conference, which is usually a Saturday, from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Breakfast, lunch, and snack will be provided. Participants will be responsible for conference registration and travel and lodging expenses.
- Meeting frequency and method will be determined by those participating in the institute and the sponsoring entities.
Who Is Right for this Program?
ICMA members who are managers, assistant managers, and department heads who:
- Are at the beginning of their equity journey.
- Have been on this journey and are ready to share their failures and successes.
- Have not started and are looking for guidance.
Projects / Capstone
The ICMA Leadership Institute on Race, Equity, and Inclusion requires participants to formulate a capstone, which is their plan for the actions they want to take in the months or years following the institute to amplify their impact in areas of race, equity, and inclusion. This could be an entirely new initiative or a refinement or expansion of a project the manager or community is already working on, i.e., a policy proposal to develop and circulate; an event concept or media strategy to raise awareness or funds for a cause; a blueprint for activism to organize one’s community around an issue, etc.
Leadership Institute Capstone Presentation
- 2024 Leadership Institute Capstone Presentation at the 110th ICMA Annual Conference in Pittsburgh/Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA
- 2023 Leadership Institute Capstone Presentation at the 109th ICMA Annual Conference in Austin/Travis County, Texas, USA
Professional Development Guidelines: This project can help fulfill your annual professional development requirements as outlined in the Guidelines for Tenet 8 of the ICMA Code of Ethics.
“The fierce urgency of now,” as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stated, is long overdue. We are the ones who can forge real change in our own communities. As our cities, towns, and counties rebuild from the pandemic, we can create a new foundation that replaces white supremacy and racism with an aggressive respect for human rights.
Program Details
- This is a highly competitive program with no more than 20 ICMA member participants.
- Return completed application to ICMA no later than June 30. Applications will be reviewed by an admissions panel.
- Successful candidates will be notified in June/July.
- The date the first meeting of the institute will convene is at the ICMA Annual Conference. It will be from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Our first virtual meeting will be a 3-hour commitment, in October, and when the exact date is identified, we will send an update.
Key Dates
Application Deadline Extended to June 30: Applications due to ICMA by close of business.
July: Successful candidates will be notified
September or October: First meeting of inaugural class at the ICMA Annual Conference; the day before the Conference begins (Friday).
How to Apply
1. You must be an ICMA member to apply.
2. Download and complete the application
3. Send the completed application by June 30 to speakup@icma.org.
Questions? Email speakup@icma.org.
Local Government Leadership for Economic Mobility and Opportunity
ICMA offers a series of learning and training opportunities on boosting upward mobility in local communities. Previous sessions are available with additional resources below. Check back here for information on future offerings and registration.
- Data Resources
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Mobility Metrics
Data for U.S. cities and counties on evidence-based predictors of mobility from poverty
Opportunity Insights
Research and data to identify and dismantle barriers to economic opportunity
Best Practices for Optimizing Data to Advance Economic Mobility
Do you have data that uncovers key barriers to economic mobility in your community, but need an impactful way to translate that data to a wider audience? To help you bring your data to life, this course dives into the basics of data and information visualization, covering various ways to visualize data and make it more palatable- through charts, maps, graphs, infographics, and combinations of these options.
Beyond the Data: Charting a Path to Economic Opportunity Through Storytelling
What story of your community does your data tell? Is it a story of a community where everyone thrives, or maybe one where disparities in housing, education, and job opportunities persist? This course will foster better understanding of how to harness data to tell stories about the realities of your community in a way that meets audiences where they are, gives them the information they need (and nothing they don't!), and inspires them to take actionable steps with the information being presented.
- Planning Guidance
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- Planning Guide for Local Action: Urban Institute's comprehensive framework and guidance for developing a mobility action plan
- Tools and Resources for Promoting Upward Mobility from the 2023 3rd Annual ICMA Equity Summit
- Strategy and Case Study Examples
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- Results for America's Economic Mobility Catalog: a searchable library of evidence-based strategies and implementation guidance.
- County Leadership in Dismantling Barriers to Economic Opportunity (PM magazine)
- Affordable Housing: Open the Door to Economic Mobility for Your Residents (ICMA podcast)
- Getting Out of Your Own Way: Enabling Community-Driven Policy Change (PM magazine)
Thriving Communities: Federal Funding for Economic Mobility and and Resilient Communities
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act are massive federal investments in new and existing programs designed to advance transformational change toward a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient future. This webinar will provide information on forthcoming federal funding opportunities from various departments and agencies that support local community priorities including increased economic mobility and opportunity. Further, viewers will learn about useful strategies to successfully position their communities for funding in 2024, including ideas for developing resource roadmaps to meet each community's specific needs. You can view this webinar through our ICMA Learning Lab.
