Maxwell
students attend ICMA conference
On September 25, 15 students in Maxwell’s MPA program attended
the International Cities/Counties Management Association (ICMA) annual
conference in Kansas City. There they
joined more than 3,500 public servants, gathered to enhance their skills and
share management strategies from cities throughout the world.
Student attendance was made possible, in part, by the
enthusiasm and philanthropic initiative of Wally Bobkiewicz ’89 MPA, currently
the city manager of Evanston, Illinois. For more than a decade, Bobkeiwicz has
organized a fund drive among Maxwell alumni across the country, intended to
assist students considering careers on state and local government. Attendance
at the annual ICMA conference is a central piece of that effort.
This year’s ICMA conference included such timely topics as
building strong communities during disruptive change, civic trust, and handling
challenges with law enforcement and the community. Speakers at the conference included award-winning
journalist and news anchor Soledad O’Brien, who described growing up as a
Latino in America and how that has shaped her style as a new anchor and
documentarian; New York Times columnist
David Brooks; and America’s first African-American female combat pilot, Vernice
“Flygirl” Armour.
Bobkiewicz’s dedication to Maxwell led also, in 2012, to the
formation of a local ICMA student chapter, which has hosted numerous events and
panels during its short existence. The
chapter recently elected its new executive team and is working with Bobkiewicz
to organize a panel discussion during November.
The new chapter officers are Jace Beehler, president; Chloe Elberty,
vice president; Michael Equi, secretary; Jason Mehta, treasurer.
10/18/16