New UD Student Chapter of ICMA

The University of Delaware has formed a student chapter of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The chapter is fortunate to be affiliated with Institute of Public Administration (IPA) and the Joseph R. Biden School of Public Policy and Administration. The chapter's mission is to educate students about career opportunities in local government, network with local professionals in the field, and engage students on local government projects. UD is among the 78 active ICMA Student Chapters worldwide and 19 student chapters within ICMA's Northeast region.

Danielle Metcalfe (MPA '19) is the chapter's president; City of Lewes, Del. city manager Ann Marie Townshend (MPA '96) is the chapter's mentor, and IPA policy scientist and former City of Newark, Del. assistant city manager Marcia Scott is the chapter's advisor.  For the 2018-19 academic year, 29 students have joined the chapter, including 5 undergraduates, a 4+1 MPA student, 13 first-year master's students, and 10 second-year graduate or doctoral students. 

Several activities and events have been planned since the UD ICMA student chapter was formed.  Eight students attended ICMA's 104th Annual Conference in Baltimore on September 23, 2018. They viewed a presentation by Dubuque, Iowa assistant city manager Cori Burbach (MPA '07) on integrating technology into sustainability practices, attended the opening general session, and networked with City Management Association of Delaware (CMAD) managers at the opening reception.

In October 2018, the chapter hosted an informal "Lunch and Learn" in Graham Hall to gain insight from both Townshend and Georgetown Town Manager Gene Dvornick. Several student chapter members volunteered to set up a "pop-up demonstration" project at IPA's Institute for Local Government Leaders event in Dover on November 16, 2018, which focused on civic engagement for community solutions through creative approaches to community design and leveraging public data. 

On January 11, 2019, fourteen ICMA student chapter members traveled to the City of Rehoboth Beach.  Organized by Metcalfe and Evan Miller ('17), an ICMA local government management fellow with the City of Rehoboth Beach and the City of Milford, the trip featured a tour of the new municipal complex, a networking lunch with city managers, and presentations by local government staff and managers from Dewey Beach, Fenwick Island, Georgetown, Milford, Millsboro, and Rehoboth Beach.  

ICMA is the leading association of local government professionals dedicated to creating and supporting thriving communities throughout the world.  With its more than 11,000 members internationally, ICMA works to improve the lives of citizens by identifying, promoting, and speeding the adoption of leading government practices.

ICMA student chapters attract and cultivate an inclusive and talented group of individuals as the next generation of local management leaders. As a part of ICMA's Next Generation Initiatives, chapters exist to establish connections between ICMA, schools, students, state associations, and managers. UD student chapter members receive all the benefits of a full ICMA membership at no cost. Benefits include free registration to the ICMA annual conference, access to ICMA's professional network and job center, digital publications and webinars, and mentorship from members from local chapters, such as CMAD.