ICMA-SFSU Student Chapter Wins an Award

Through the ICMA - International City and County Management Association - Student Chapter Best Event Contest, ICMA shows its support for ICMA student members and all the work they do to engage students who aspire to join the local government profession. Each year, the Best Chapter Event Contest awards a select few ICMA Student Chapters with travel funds to attend the ICMA Annual Conference. Chapters present their most successful event to members of the ICMA Executive Board, highlighting topic, involvement, and impact, with a special focus on innovation this year. This year's winners are the University of Delaware, Brigham Young University, and San Francisco State University.

San Francisco State University is a winner for its “Breaking into Public Service” virtual panel. The SFSU-ICMA Student Chapter, founded in 2017 and led by students in the MPA Program, held a virtual panel aimed at introducing students to the experiences of four public service panelists and allowed students to gain insights into career direction and tips for landing roles. SFSU-ICMA President Steven Lee moderated the panel composed of Jim Schutz, City Manager, San Rafael, California; Jessica Paran, Social Services Division Director, Marin County, California; Aaron Zavala, Senior Management Analyst, Petaluma, California; and Ahmad Anderson, Director of People and Culture at SF JAZZ in California. With 26 students attending the event, the conversation ranged from concrete, technical tips for new graduates, to the acknowledgment of a changing post-pandemic workplace, to inspiring reflections on a core value of public administration. The event was a success, with panelists giving students honest assessments of the state of local governance and its need for new talent. The chapter also gained new student chapter members from the event. Dr. Ernita Joaquin advises the chapter.