Former Rochester Hills City Administrator to Lead International Municipal Association
Oakland University graduate Marc A. Ott was recently named executive director of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Ott, who earned a bachelor’s in management and master’s in public administration from Oakland, is the city manager of Austin, Texas and has built a distinguished career in local government management.
“I am excited about the opportunity to serve and lead America’s premier local government organization, one that is supremely dedicated to excellence in local governance around the world,” Ott said in a news release. “I am proud to say that I’ve been a member of ICMA for over 30 years. The mission, values, and code of conduct espoused by ICMA serves its members, and the communities they serve, very well.”
Prior to moving to Texas, Ott served as city administrator of Rochester Hills (1998–2002), where he had administrative and managerial oversight over all municipal operations. He also served as city manager (1993–97), deputy city manager (1991–93), and as an assistant city manager (1990–91) in Kalamazoo. He also served in leadership and support roles for the cities of Grand Rapids and Jackson (1982–90), and as a staff assistant to the Michigan Municipal League (1981–82).
Ott is also a graduate of the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and serves on the board of directors for the Alliance for Innovation. Ott received an ICMA Service Award in 2012 in honor of his 30 years of service to local government. He starts as ICMA executive director on October 31, 2016.
Based in Washington, D.C., ICMA advances professional local government worldwide. The organization’s mission is to create excellence in local governance by developing and fostering professional management to build better communities.