ON THE RECORD/Krings takes the lead at ICMA
David Krings, county administrator for Hamilton County, Ohio, has been named president for the Washington, D.C.-based International City/County Management Association (ICMA). For 30 years, Krings has held various public service positions in the Midwest and has served as Hamilton County adminstrator since 1991. ICMA, an 8,000-member organization, supports the council-manager form of local government. Krings explains what he anticipates for ICMA in the coming year.
Q: Have your experiences as a county administrator prepared you to lead ICMA?
Krings: Hamilton County is a complex organization with more than 6,500 employees and a total operating budget of $2 billion. No one person directs it any more than one person directs ICMA. The president of ICMA, like the administrator of a county, must develop the art of serving the membership in a way that assists them in their quest to succeed.
Q: What will be ICMA’s priorities this year?
A: We’ve made great strides in strengthening our connections to the members, and I want that connection further strengthened — not only to our members but to the families of members. Regardless of how we define family, I am aware that when a member is hired, the city or county gets the entire family — and they’re all affected by what happens to that member.
Q: How will ICMA address budgetary problems and maintaining a motivated staff?
A: In good times or bad times, ICMA goes far beyond the provision of basic management skills to its members. I don’t wish to downgrade the training that we all need to hone that professional edge. That sharpening process is as strong as ever. [Yet] I believe the less formal contact is even more important. It is important for those of us on the front lines to know that we are not alone, to know that there are managers in Bethlehem, Israel; Edinburgh, Scotland; Perth, Australia; and Peoria, Ill., who are struggling with the same challenges we are.
Q: Has the war or the shooting in New York’s City Hall affected ICMA’s approach to homeland security issues?
A: Homeland security is a major concern to all local governments. The federal government has the money to address the challenges, and, for the most part, the local governments do not. The federal government might look to partner more closely with us to understand the way local government works so that its grants would be congruent with local operations.
Q: How do you see the scope of ICMA evolving in future years?
A: Our profession is evolving, and ICMA needs to evolve with it. Our members are working in communities with a variety of forms of government. We need to hold our Code of Ethics dear and bring the professional ideals embodied in the code and in ICMA membership to our peers, regardless of their form of government.