Garner Town Manager Named Chair Of ICMA Credentialing Advisory Board

GARNER – Garner Town Manager Jodi Miller on Dec. 5 was appointed chair of the International City/County Management Association’s Credentialing Advisory Board (CAB), which oversees the ICMA’s Credentialed Manager program.

“I am honored to have been elected as chairperson on the ICMA Credentialing Advisory Board for the 2026-2028 term,” said Ms. Miller, who has been an ICMA credentialed manager since 2007.

“Being a member of the CAB has provided me the opportunity to work with board members from across the country and ICMA staff in support of continual learning and professional development for public managers,” she said. “I appreciate the vote of confidence from my fellow board members and look forward to working together on user-friendly enhancements to the credentialing program.”

According to the ICMA website, “the … Credentialed Manager designation has become widely respected, frequently requested in recruitment of positions, and cited in positive media coverage of public stewardship. ICMA Credentialed Managers are professional local government managers qualified by a combination of education and experience, adherence to high standards of integrity, and an assessed commitment to lifelong learning and professional development.”

Currently, 1,600 ICMA members have earned the Credentialed Manager or Credentialed Manager Candidate designation as part of the voluntary credentialing program. The Credentialed Manager designation is considered the gold standard for public managers and is recognized for its focus on continual learning.

ICMA describes itself as “the leading organization of local government professionals dedicated to creating and sustaining thriving communities throughout the world. We do this by working with our more than 13,000 members to identify and speed the adoption of leading local government practices to improve the lives of residents.”

The organization offers “professional development programs, research, publications, data and information, technical assistance, and training to local government chief administrative officers, their staff, and other organizations around the globe.”

The Garner Town Council appointed Ms. Miller to be town manager in May 2024. She joined the Town as an assistant town manager in February 2022 and served as interim town manager prior to her appointment to her current position.

Ms. Miller has over 25 years of local government experience, including six years as deputy manager for Durham County and nearly 16 years as deputy city manager for the City of Williamsburg, Va.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in public administration from Tech’s Center for Public Administration and Policy. She is also a graduate of the University of Virginia’s Senior Executive Institute and the University of North Carolina’s Public Executive Leadership Academy.

This past summer, Ms. Miller completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at the Harvard Kennedy School.