Leadership, learning, and connection at ICMA 2025

Contributed by Ashley Huria, Business Performance Manager at Horowhenua District Council. Ashley was the 2025 Taituarā Emerging Leader Award recipient.

Earlier this year, I was honoured to receive the Taituarā Emerging Leaders Award, supported by Sheffield and Horowhenua District Council, which give me to opportunity to attend the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) 2025 annual conference in Tampa, Florida. As someone with 15 years’ experience in local government, the opportunity to connect with peers from around the world, engage with leaders, and reflect on my own leadership was both humbling and energising. I anticipated this would be a valuable experience, but it exceeded every expectation – with learnings and inspiration on a scale unlike anything I’ve seen in New Zealand, from the sheer size of the event and diversity of representatives; to the breadth of ideas shared. From the massive exhibit hall, keynote presentations attended by 5,500 people, to the opening and closing celebrations, every moment was remarkable.

The conference was held from 25–29 October 2025, it drew 5500 local government professionals from across the globe. From the moment it began, it was clear that this was a space where innovation, leadership, and collaboration intersected on an extraordinary scale. The speakers, panels, and workshops challenged my thinking and provided new tools, titbits and approaches that I hope to one day implement in my own community.

Leadership in action

One of the most powerful themes throughout ICMA 2025 was leadership under pressure. Early in the conference, a session on crisis management highlighted the lessons from the Marshall Fire in Colorado and Florida’s hurricane responses. These real world examples illustrated the critical need for rapid decision making, trusting instincts, and proactive planning. I was struck with how much of the messaging throughout the entire conferencewas focused on the human side of leadership, how supporting team wellbeing, understanding emotional recovery, and building resilient structures are as vital as operational preparedness. It reinforced that effective leadership is both intentional and compassionate.

Wayne Nero from the City of Georgetown provided another lens on leadership in his session Intentional Leadership: Leading with Self-Awareness and Purpose. His message that “the biggest barrier to leading well isn’t what we don’t know, it’s what we’re blind to about ourselves” this was about self-awareness, reflective practice, and disciplined execution being sustainable leadership.

Across the conference as a whole, there was a strong emphasis on pride in working in local government, ensuring you have a mentor or coach to guide you, and committing to give back to others in the same way. This message pushed the point that leadership is not only about decisions and strategy but also about nurturing people, sharing knowledge, and fostering a culture of growth. A focus that, while celebrated at ICMA, is not always as strongly emphasised in local government here in Aotearoa. It was a timely reminder of the impact that intentional mentorship, coaching, and giving back can have on teams,organisations, and ultimately the communities we serve.

Connection, trust, and community engagement

The conference also explored the vital relationship between councils and the communities we serve. Citizen Academies, which allow residents to learn how councils operate from the inside, were highlighted as an effective method of building trust, increasing transparency, and creating community ambassadors. Some participants of these programmes even went on to work for councils or stand for election. Similarly, Citizen Assemblies – deliberative forums that bring together representative groups of residents to provide informed input – demonstrated how councils can foster inclusion, collective decision making, and shared ownership of outcomes. These concepts sparked ideas how we could further public engagement, ensuring our communities are informed, empowered, and genuinely part of the decision making processes.

Another highlight was Doug Griffiths session 13 Ways to Kill Your Community and Arthur Brooks keynote Love Your Enemies, which together reinforced the importance of values driven leadership and most importantly valuing your community. Doug’s message to us was that sometimes small, practical action can solve a problem faster and more efficiently, than a complex plan. We don’t always need to overthink it.

Whereas Arthur, challenged us to intentionally approach difficult relationships with empathy, understanding, and respect. He framed love not as a sentiment but as an actionable leadership choice; approaching others, even those you disagree with, with a mindset of collaboration and shared purpose.

These sessions reinforced that as leaders, we all must treat our communities with patience, respect, and intentional care, engaging even with those who challenge us, because every voice matters and every relationship shapes the strength and trust of the community.

Across the globe – from Tampa to Horowhenua

Attending ICMA 2025 also offered a fascinating perspective on local government around the world. While the U.S. and New Zealand differ in structures, funding mechanisms, and legislative frameworks, the core challenges around budget constraints, community expectations, and delivering meaningful services are remarkably similar. Hearing about innovative approaches in action, from long term city revitalisation projects like in San Antonio to strategic economic growth initiatives, really highlighted how collaboration, intentional planning, and alignment around shared goals drive real results. It was striking how many of these lessons are relevant to Horowhenua District Council. They reinforced that the work we are doing locally is on the right track, while also sparking ideas for adapting international innovations, such as Citizen Academies or Assemblies, to strengthen community engagement and inclusion at home.

Personal reflection and professional growth

For me, the conference provided a time to reflect on why I continue to love working in local government. The discussions, workshops, and networking highlighted that serving communities is a privilege, it requires curiosity, resilience, agility and a willingness to learn. It was a real pleasure to meet passionate professionals who reminded me that local government, no matter where you are globally, thrives when people genuinely care about people.

Looking forward

ICMA 2025 was, in every sense, a reminder that leadership is about more than managing services it is about creating connections, fostering trust, and enabling communities to thrive. The award from Taituarā and the support of Horowhenua District Council and Sheffield made this experience possible, and I am deeply grateful for it.

As I return to my own work, I will carry this experience with me, not only the ideas and strategies but also confidence in our approach and a commitment to personal growth. As the future of local government is global, collaborative, and full of opportunity.