News

The Ohio City/County Management Association (OCMA) recognized Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck with the prestigious Profile in Courage Award for his outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment to public service during a challenging period for the city.

The Profile in Courage Award is a rare honor, given only when a public servant exhibits extraordinary resilience and integrity in the face of adversity. Heck’s leadership throughout 2024 exemplified these values as he guided Springfield through a time of heightened national attention, misinformation, and community tensions.

Leadership in the Face of Adversity

In 2024, Springfield found itself at the center of a divisive national debate on immigration, leading to increased misinformation, public safety concerns, and even personal threats against Heck and his family. Despite these pressures, Heck remained steadfast in his duty to serve the community with integrity, transparency, and a commitment to truth.

Springfield Finance Director Katie Eviston, who nominated Heck for the award, highlighted his remarkable ability to navigate these challenges:

“Despite the personal risks, Bryan rose to the occasion with resilience and unwavering resolve. He remained committed to ethical governance, standing for truth and unity at a time when misinformation threatened to divide our community.”

Even amid direct threats, including a bomb threat against City Hall in September 2024, Heck remained composed, ensuring public safety while maintaining clear communication with residents and city staff.

Bridging Divides and Building Trust

One of Heck’s most significant contributions was his ability to foster open dialogue and unity during a time of deep division. He worked tirelessly to engage diverse stakeholders, including long-time residents, business owners, and the city’s growing Haitian immigrant population.

Assistant City Manager and Economic Development Director Tom Franzen praised Heck’s efforts:

“Heck has consistently advocated for the Haitian community while acknowledging the challenges the city faces. His leadership ensured that all voices were heard and respected.”

In response to false claims regarding Springfield’s Haitian community—including widely spread misinformation—Heck stood firm in defending the truth, emphasizing the importance of fact-based governance over political expediency.

A Legacy of Courageous Leadership

Springfield Deputy Director of Public Safety and Operations Jason Via recognized Heck’s inclusive leadership style, stating:

“Bryan has never shied away from difficult conversations or the weight of public scrutiny. His ability to engage, listen, and lead with empathy has strengthened our community in immeasurable ways.”

This sentiment was echoed by Springfield Law Director Jill Allen, who indicated that Heck was more than prepared for his moment.”We could not ask for a better leader to guide Springfield through this challenging time. Bryan Heck embodies the qualities of a true public servant, and we are immensely proud to call him our City Manager. Bryan’s steady leadership has proven he was more than prepared for his moment.”

ICMA is currently accepting nominations for its Local Government Excellence Awards. These awards are designed to recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of our members and highlight extraordinary accomplishments and dedicated service to the profession.

Your support in promoting these awards can significantly enhance awareness and participation within our community. Go to: www.icma.org/awards to submit your nomination. Submissions are accepted through March 14, 2025.

Peter Kageyama will keynote the 2025 OCMA Annual Conference February 26-28. Peter is the author of For the Love of Cities: The Love Affair Between People and Their Places, the follow up, Love Where You Live: Creating Emotionally Engaging Places and his latest, The Emotional Infrastructure of Places.

Peter is a Senior Fellow with the Alliance for Innovation, a national network of city leaders that is dedicated to improving the practice of local government.   Since speaking to them in 2013, Peter has become a special advisor to America In Bloom.  He is an internationally sought-after community development consultant and grassroots engagement strategist who speaks all over the world about bottom-up community development and the amazing people who are making change happen.

As we get ready for the 2025 OCMA Annual Conference, we want to showcase the love we all have for our communities – our cities, counties, townships, and villages included. With Peter Kageyama as our keynote speaker, his ideas on lovable cities will be front and center throughout the conference. 

Help us highlight the passion and creativity that make our communities special by submitting photos that capture the unique ways your organization brings joy and creativity to public spaces. Whether it’s a mural that inspires, a pocket park that invites community gathering, a quirky sign that sparks a smile, or a playful public art installation, we want to see how your community fosters a sense of belonging and small moments of goodness. 

These images will be featured throughout the conference as a celebration of what makes our places, and the leaders like you behind them, so unique.

And while you’re looking through your photo files, please also consider submitting general community photos — of your parks, facilities, commercial corridors, events, etc. — to OCMA to be featured year-round on our website and other publications. 

The OCMA Executive Board is currently seeking a new Board Member at-Large to begin their service on July 1, 2025. If you are a Full Member of OCMA, we encourage you to apply for this rewarding opportunity.

How to Apply

To apply, you must be a Full Member. You can confirm your membership level in your account on the OCMA website. Interested candidates should email the OCMA Secretariat at [email protected] by Friday, January 17, 2025 with the following documents:

1. A one-page Letter of Interest
2. A one-page Resume

Board Member Requirements and Responsibilities

You must be a Full Member to apply. As an OCMA Board Member, your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

1. Attending Board Meetings (usually 6 per year, third Thursday of the month)
2. Voting on motions made during board meetings
3. Reviewing new member applications
4. Answering questions from OCMA members and the public
5. Guiding key decision-making to support the OCMA Strategic Plan

Service on the Board can total up to 6 years, with the following progression:

• Year 1: Board Member at-large
• Year 2: Board Member at-large
• Year 3: Senior Board Member at-large
• Year 4: Vice President
• Year 5: President
• Year 6: Immediate Past President

We look forward to your participation and interest in contributing to the OCMA Executive Board. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

Registration is now open for the 2025 OCMA Annual Conference. This year’s theme, “Building Ohio Together,” sets the stage for an inspiring and collaborative conference. We’re thrilled to announce the return of popular social events like the Restaurant Romp and Pins Mechanical, offering ample opportunities to network and reconnect with colleagues.

Join us as we engage in meaningful discussions and activities that will shape the future of our communities. This year’s conference will feature:

• The launch of the 2025 OCMA Conference mobile app! More information to come.
• Redesigned conference website and registration
• Keynote Address with Peter Kageyama, Author, For the Love of Cities
• “Reconnecting the (Housing) Dots” Mobile Workshop
• Pre-Conference Training co-organized with OHPELRA
• Hot Topics in Local Government: Ohio Edition featuring OCMA Board Members
• Breakout sessions from OCMA members and sponsors
• Activities, receptions, networking opportunities, and more!

Hotel reservations can be made at the Hilton at Easton (3900 Chagrin Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43219):

If you prefer to make your reservation over the phone, you can call +1 614-414-5000 and ask for the OCMA 2025 Conference Room Block using group code: 920. The group rate is bookable until the cutoff date of January 26, 2025, or until the room block sells out.

Please join us for a great opportunity to connect with other OCMA members!

The Ohio City & County Management Association (OCMA) is excited to announce that the nomination process for the Annual Awards is now open! This is your opportunity to recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of your colleagues in local government who are making a significant impact in their communities.

The OCMA Annual Awards honor individuals and projects that exemplify excellence in local government. There are eight award categories, each designed to highlight different aspects of community improvement and professional achievement:

1. Placemaking: Recognizes innovative ways that communities create unique public spaces.
2. Redevelopment Projects: Celebrates community redevelopment projects that have been substantially completed.
3. Career Achievement Award: Honors an outstanding local government administrator with a minimum of 10 years of senior-level service within Ohio.
4. Career Development / Mentoring Award: Recognizes significant contributions to the development of new talent in professional local government management.
5. Distinguished Early Career Award: Celebrates individuals leading and setting standards for professional management within the first 15 years of their career.
6. Innovation in Local Government Award: Highlights successful applications of cutting-edge organizational tools in public service delivery.
7. Citizen Participation Award: Recognizes strategies designed to inform and include citizens in community decision-making.
8. Intergovernmental Cooperation Award: Honors outstanding programs developed through cooperative actions or strategic partnerships.

Nominations are reviewed by an award review panel, and finalists will be recognized by their peers and awarded a plaque at the Annual Awards during the OCMA Annual Conference. The deadline for nominations is December 15, 2024.

For more information on the nomination process and to submit your nomination, please visit the OCMA Annual Awards page.

The Ohio City/County Management Association (OCMA) is excited to announce that we are looking to fill three vacant positions on our committees. This is a fantastic opportunity for members to get involved, contribute to the profession, and help shape the future of local government management in Ohio.

Open Positions and Committee Descriptions:

1. Support of the Profession Committee
   • Co-Chair: Vacant
   • Description: This committee develops initiatives to retain and promote the use of professional local government managers. It provides technical assistance to communities, educates the public on the benefits of professional management, and oversees ethics training and ICMA Credentialing.
2. Professional Development Committee
   • Co-Chairs: Two Vacancies
   • Description: This committee identifies professional development needs, assists in designing conferences and events, and promotes training opportunities. It supports professional growth at all career stages and organizes networking opportunities and the OCMA Annual Conference.

Application Deadline: December 1, 2024

If you are interested in applying for any of these positions, please visit our committee page here for more information and to submit your application. We look forward to your participation and contributions to the OCMA community.

The Ohio City/County Management Association (OCMA) is thrilled to announce that Peter Kageyama will be the keynote speaker for the 2025 OCMA Annual Conference. The conference, which will be held from February 26 to 28, 2025, at the Hilton at Easton Town Center, promises to be an exciting event for local government professionals across Ohio.

Peter Kageyama is an urbanist and bestselling author of four nonfiction books on cities and placemaking. His first book, For the Love of Cities, was recognized as a Top 10 Book in Urban Planning and Development. He speaks all over the world about better placemaking that emphasizes small, inexpensive, and fun approaches to city building. He was a Senior Advisor to the Alliance for Innovation, a national network of city leaders, and is an Ambassador for America in Bloom. 

In 2023, St. Petersburg Press published his first novel, Hunters Point. The work of historic fiction draws upon the wartime experiences of his father and his Japanese family. The sequel, Midnight Climax, was published in early 2024. 

Born in Akron, Ohio, Peter studied at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He later attended law school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. In his spare time Peter is an avid board gamer, comic book geek and classic rock nerd. He lives in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida with his wife, award winning architect Lisa Wannemacher and their dog Dobby.

Peter’s keynote address will focus on the theme of “For the Love of Cities”: How to fall in love with your community, the economic benefits to emotional engagement and how to engage your citizens as development resources. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of placemaking as it impacts talent attraction and retention and economic development strategies.

We look forward to seeing you at the 2025 OCMA Annual Conference and to the inspiring insights that Peter Kageyama will bring to our community.