Scholarship Awardee John Peraza Blog: A Day with ICMA Experience

A Day with ICMA: More Than a Conference, a Conversation About the Future

By John Peraza, Assistant to the City Manager, City of Moreno Valley, CA | Issaquah, WA Day with ICMA

As Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Moreno Valley and a recipient of the 2026 Cal-ICMA Scholarship, I had the opportunity to attend ICMA's A Day with ICMA program in Issaquah, Washington. Going into the event, I expected great networking, thoughtful discussions, and plenty of conversations about local government. What I did not expect was to leave feeling so reenergized about the profession itself.

Before the program officially began, the experience was already delivering value. A special thank you to April Mitts, Assistant City Manager for the City of Healdsburg, for welcoming the Cal-ICMA scholarship recipients. During dinner on our first evening, we shared stories about our communities, career journeys, and the occasional local government war story. As it turns out, whether you're from a small town or a city of more than 200,000 residents, many of the challenges—and opportunities—are surprisingly similar. The City of Issaquah was an exceptional host. The staff were welcoming, engaging, and genuinely excited to share their work. Throughout the program, we discussed workforce recruitment, political polarization, social media, fiscal pressures, state preemption, and the evolving expectations placed on local governments. In other words, all the light and relaxing topics those in city management enjoy discussing over coffee.

One conversation that particularly resonated with me focused on civic infrastructure and the enduring qualities that anchor our profession during disruptive times. Participants offered different perspectives on what success looks like, but a common theme emerged: strong communities are built on trust, engagement, and effective leadership.

My favorite session centered on the qualities that continue to define the city management profession. Asthe conversation unfolded, I found myself returning to three principles that have guided my own career: be kind, be ethical, and be effective. Those values were evident throughout the day—not just in the discussions, but in the way participants interacted with one another.

What surprised me most was not the complexity of the challenges facing local government. We all know those challenges are real. Rather, it was the optimism in the room. Despite workforce shortages, budget pressures, changing public expectations, and a rapidly evolving political environment, the commitment to public service remains unwavering.

One of my favorite memories from the program came during a lighthearted trivia activity where participants tried to identify songs that referenced cities. For a group of local government professionals, the competitive spirit emerged remarkably quickly. It was a reminder that while we take our work seriously, we do not always have to take ourselves so seriously.

I left Issaquah with new friendships, fresh ideas, and renewed confidence in the future of our profession. Most importantly, I was reminded that local government is ultimately a people business. Through organizations like Cal-ICMA and ICMA, we are fortunate to have a community of professionals willing to share, mentor, collaborate, and occasionally debate the finer points of municipal management.

If I had to summarize A Day with ICMA in one sentence, it would be this: a meaningful conversation about the future of local government that left me inspired, optimistic, and grateful to be part of this profession.