News

In 2022, the OCCMA Board of Directors created the Civic Education Ad/Hoc Committee to provide resources for members to communicate with their council, community, and future local government professionals about various topics relating to the city management profession. The committee worked with Portland State University MPA Student Ashleen McGirk to develop the Civic Education Toolkit as a resource to help explain local government and what cities do. The Toolkit was rolled out during the 2022 OCCMA Summer Conference, but has not garnered much attention since.

The Civic Education Committee is looking to develop a “playbook” for OCCMA members to follow when using the Civic Education Toolkit and would like to hear feedback from the membership on the toolkit. Please take a few minutes to answer three short questions to assist the committee in developing a useful playbook to accompany the toolkit. We would appreciate a response by June 30, 2023.

Take survey here: 

The 2023 OCCMA Board of Directors Work Plan includes a goal of expanding scholarship opportunities to OCCMA members beyond attendance at the summer conference. The Scholarship Committee has developed a draft training program to help accomplish this goal. This program would be open year-round with quarterly application reviews. The first opportunities listed are national educational programs developed by or endorsed by the ICMA. These programs are a longer time commitment and would be eligible for higher funding. The second opportunity would be for members (both professional and students) to apply to attend conferences, such as the summer conference, the LOC Annual and Spring Conferences, and the ICMA Annual Conference. The committee is requesting feedback on the program guidelines as well as input on other potential educational opportunities located on the west coast and/or in the Pacific Northwest that could be eligible for funding. The OCCMA Board of Directors would appreciate your feedback by July 3. These comments will be reviewed by the Board of Directors at their July 22 meeting.

The conference is scheduled for July 19-22, 2023 at the Pendleton Convention Center. The Professional Development Committee has planned an outstanding program this year, including diverse educational sessions, local tours, and allotted networking time! You can find lodging information, the preliminary agenda, and register online here: https://occma.org/Summer-Conference. Staff has secured room blocks at four different properties and I encourage you to book your room as soon as possible due to other conflicting events scheduled in Pendleton.