ICMA & TCMA

In 2019 I joined the International City/County Manager Association (ICMA) and Texas City Manager Association (TCMA) Bush School student chapter. Prior to the most recent school year, the ICMA/TCMA chapter at the Bush School did not have a huge presence, which allowed me to join as an active member and help in the decision of planning future events for our chapter. Throughout the past academic year, I have attended six meetings and I have been able to attend most of the chapter events. Unfortunately, most of our chapter's Spring 2020 events were canceled due to COVID-19, but below I highlight the key events I attended in Fall 2019, including the Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) event at Texas A&M and a trip to meet the city manager of Todd Mission, TX.

Todd Mission

On November 24th, 2019, I was invited to attend a trip to Todd Mission to meet directly with City Manager, Neal Wendele. Mr. Wendele took the time to meet with 7 members of the Bush School ICMA group to discuss his path to city management, the challenges he faced becoming a first-time City Manager, and his overall experience working in municipal government. He shared the challenges he has faced working in a small town, but his enthusiasm and vision for growth in Todd Mission were inspiring to me as I enter the job market and am looking for a career in municipal government.

Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) #ELGLInspire

On November 13, 2019, Texas A&M held the #ELGLInspire event, which brought in local leaders from over 10 municipalities to talk about their experiences in local government. This event was a great opportunity for me to learn from leaders in different departments and also to compare the experiences from smaller towns, like Navasota, to larger cities like Dallas. A common theme I learned from the various speakers was that working in local government is a very fulfilling and impactful sector. Multiple speakers indicated that they had worked in the private sector before, but found themselves moving back into careers in municipal government. The information I gathered while attending #ELGLInspire has motivated me and inspired me to pursue a career in local government after graduation.