September 2026 Presidential Message

Dear Cal-ICMA Members,

Fall conference season is here! Whether at the Cal Cities Annual Conference, MMANC, MMASC, ICMA Annual Conference, or other, hopefully you can carve out time from your daily local government service routine and attend one or more of these conferences for important learning and connection opportunities. It is critical in our profession to step outside our daily local bubbles to hear and learn from each other, and to connect in person with laughter, thoughtfulness, and even concern and sadness.

Cal-ICMA works to facilitate this connection and learning. With networking dinners at the MMANC and MMASC conferences and co-hosting the California reception at ICMA (see details in this newsletter), as well as events hosted by numerous Cal-ICMA Affiliate member organizations, opportunities to connect over tasty food and drinks abound. Whether sharing and learning about each other’s professional joys or challenges, or sharing personal joys or challenges, it is in these moments that bonds are created and deepened and our passion and resiliency in the work we do is enhanced, knowing that we are not alone in our collective aspirations for local government excellence. Many Cal-ICMA Board members and committee volunteers will also be sharing their experience and insight by serving on dozens of panels throughout these conferences spanning diverse and important topics in our profession.

Cal-ICMA will be announcing its annual call for volunteers to serve on the numerous committees that are actively working to deliver Cal-ICMA’s events and programming in October. If you are looking for a way to become more involved, connected, and eventually have an opportunity to serve on the Cal-ICMA Board of Directors, keep your eyes out for the forthcoming call for volunteers.

I mentioned sharing connections as well as sadness earlier. It is with sadness that we learned this week of the passing of Mark Linder, a longtime leader in the city management profession and San Francisco Bay Area local government. Mark served in numerous cities, including as Deputy City Manager for San Jose, Assistant City Manager for Cupertino and Los Gatos, City Manager for Campbell, and, most recently as Interim City Manager in Sonoma and the Town of Portola Valley. His deep contributions to the profession and the communities he served will live on, as he will in the memories of so many he connected with and influenced!

I look forward to seeing and connecting with you this fall at one or more of the upcoming meetings!