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ARIZONA CITY COUNTY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
Phoenix, AZ · EIN 860446342 · Form 990 · FY2022 · NTEE S41 · Community Improvement · Small ($100K-$1M) · azmanagement.org
revenue
$478K
expenses
$458K
net assets
$514K
employees
0
volunteers
3
mission · from form 990

Professional development of local government management through professional management, education, training and the mutual exchange of information

profile · synthesized from sources

The Arizona City/County Management Association (ACMA) is a nonprofit professional membership association focused on advancing local government management in Arizona. It serves city, town, and county managers, providing education, training, and networking opportunities to enhance their professional development and support local government communities.

named programs · 4 · from sources

what they call their work

Awards Program
Recognizes outstanding contributions to local government management through various awards, including the John J. DeBolske Professional Excellence Award.
Management Academy
Offers training sessions on topics such as leadership, council-manager relationships, and legal frameworks for local government managers.
Scholarship Program
Offers scholarships for full and associate members to attend professional development programs, such as those at Harvard University.
Senior Advisor Program
Provides support and counsel from experienced retired members to current local government managers facing challenges.
activities · 6 groups

what they do

  • Professional Excellence Awards for Public Managers and Fiduciaries 4 activities
    • Administers professional awards for local government managers
      Bestows the John J. “Jack” DeBolske Award and the Catherine Connolly Outstanding Assistant City/County Manager Award annually to recognize professional excellence and significant contributions by city and county managers in Arizona.
    • Administers professional awards for local government managers
      Bestows the John J. “Jack” DeBolske Award annually to City/County Managers who demonstrate professional excellence and significant contributions to local government; also awards the Catherine Connolly Outstanding Assistant City/County Manager Award. The DeBolske Award has been presented since 1997, with recent recipients including Wynette Reed (2026), Steven Peru (2025), and Bryant Powell (2024).
    • Bestow the Catherine Connolly Outstanding Assistant City/County Manager Award
      Recognizes Assistant City/County Managers for outstanding performance through the Catherine Connolly Award.
    • Bestow the John J. “Jack” DeBolske Professional Excellence Award
      Annually awards the John J. “Jack” DeBolske Award to City/County Managers who demonstrate professional excellence and significant contributions to local government. The award has been given each year since at least 2018, with recipients including Wynette Reed (2026), Steven Peru (2025), and Bryant Powell (2024).
  • Retreat and Training Scholarships 3 activities
    • Administer scholarship program for member professional development
      Offers scholarships to full and associate members that cover full program costs, including tuition, fees, housing, materials, and most meals. Applications are reviewed by an ACMA selection committee and forwarded to Harvard University for final selection.
    • Administers scholarship program for member professional development
      Offers scholarships covering full program costs—including fees, tuition, housing, materials, and most meals—to full and associate members; manages application review through an ACMA selection committee and forwards selected applications to Harvard University.
    • Administers scholarship program for member professional development
      Offers full-cost scholarships to full and associate members for professional development programs, including tuition, fees, housing, materials, and meals, with applications reviewed by an ACMA selection committee and forwarded to Harvard University.
  • Local Government Professional Development 3 activities
    • Administer the ACMA Management Academy
      Hosts annual professional development sessions for local government managers covering core topics such as the Council-Manager form of government, leadership approaches, relationship management, and the legal framework for city/county managers. The Academy was hosted in 2024 and 2025.
    • Delivers leadership and management training through the ACMA Management Academy
      Hosts the ACMA Management Academy, offering structured training sessions on key competencies for local government managers, including the Council-Manager form of government, leadership approaches, relationship management, and legal frameworks. The Academy was hosted in 2024 and 2025.
    • Delivers leadership and management training through the ACMA Management Academy
      Hosts the ACMA Management Academy annually, offering structured sessions on core competencies for local government managers, including leadership styles, legal frameworks, intergovernmental relationships, and the council-manager form of government.
  • Law Enforcement Labor Negotiations 3 activities
    • Develop model employment agreement for local government managers
      Created the ACMA Model Employment Agreement as a standardized resource to assist members in negotiating or updating city/county manager employment contracts.
    • Develops model employment resources for local government managers
      Created the ACMA Model Employment Agreement as a tool to assist members in negotiating or updating city/county manager employment contracts.
    • Develops model governance resources for local governments
      Created the ACMA Model Employment Agreement as a standardized resource to assist members in negotiating or updating city and county manager employment contracts.
  • Professional Membership and Job Board Services 1 activity
    • Support individual members in professional advancement
      Provides direct support to individual local government professionals, including Deputy Finance Directors, Assistant City Managers, and City Managers across Arizona municipalities such as Phoenix, Sierra Vista, Eloy, Chandler, Maricopa, Goodyear, Prescott Valley, Gilbert, and Scottsdale in recent years (2022–2025).
  • Uncategorized 4 activities
    • Provide career transition support for separated local government managers
      Offers direct support to members who have been involuntarily separated from local government service through Senior Advisors Mike Letcher and Susan Thorpe.
    • Provides career transition support for separated local government managers
      Offers direct support to members who have been involuntarily separated from local government service through senior advisors with expertise in career reentry and advancement.
    • Provides career transition support for separated local government managers
      Offers direct support to members who have been involuntarily separated from local government service through Senior Advisors Mike Letcher and Susan Thorpe.
    • Supports individual member professional advancement
      Provides direct support to individual members in advancing their careers, including Brandi Flores and Victoria Yarbrough in 2025, David Malewitz and Joshua H. Wright in 2024, Benjamin Bitter and Jenna Goad in 2023, and Ryan Judy, Leah Rhineheimer, and Brent Stockwell in 2022.
financials · form 990 · fy2022
revenue
Total revenue$478K
Contributions & grants$173K36%
Program service revenue$301K63%
Investment income$1620%
Other revenue$3K
expenses
Total expenses$458K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$132K
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$746K
Cash$581K
Investments$0
Liabilities$232K
Net assets$514K
Liquid reserves15.2 mo
2 years on record · 2020–2022 · YoY revenue +208.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2022

who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
League of Arizona Cities Towns Secretary-Treasurer 15 $75K
board members · 7
  • Ben Bitter — Director
  • Darren Coldwell — Director
  • Edith Baltierrez — Director, Associate Rep
  • Ginger Spencer — Director
  • Jenna Goad — Director, Associate Rep
  • Leo Lew — Director
  • Ryan Judy — Director
relationships · 30

who they work with

  • Arizona Municipal Clerks Association (AMCA) Partner — Shares sponsorship opportunities with ACMA
  • Avondale Partner — City Manager from Avondale participated in a 1963 meeting hosted by the organization.
  • Casa Grande Partner — City Manager from Casa Grande participated in a 1963 meeting hosted by the organization.
  • Chandler Partner — City Manager from Chandler participated in a 1963 meeting hosted by the organization.
  • Coolidge Partner — City Manager from Coolidge participated in a 1963 meeting hosted by the organization.
  • Eloy Partner — City Manager from Eloy participated in a 1963 meeting hosted by the organization.
  • Glendale Partner — City Manager from Glendale participated in a 1963 meeting hosted by the organization.
  • Government Finance Officers Association of Arizona (GFOAz) Partner — Shares sponsorship opportunities with ACMA
  • Harvard University Partner — Forwards selected scholarship applications to Harvard University for a program for senior executives in state and local government.
  • Hayden Partner — Town Manager from Hayden participated in a 1963 meeting hosted by the organization.
  • Holbrook Partner — Representative from Holbrook participated in a 1963 meeting hosted by the organization.
  • ICMA Network — References the ICMA Model Employment Agreement as a related resource for members.
  • ICMA Partner — Established the Senior Advisor Program in 1974 with ACMA.
  • ICMA Partner — Partners with ICMA for its CoachConnect mentoring program.
  • ICMA Partner — Provides resources to assist managers and managers-in-transition through ICMA's programs and benefits.
  • International City/County Management Association Network — State affiliate of ICMA, aligning with its mission to support professional local government management.
  • International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Partner — Affiliated with ACMA.
  • International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Partner — Affiliated with ICMA
  • International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Partner — Susan K. Thorpe serves as a Senior Advisor for both ACMA and ICMA.
  • League of Arizona Cities and Towns Partner — Staffs ACMA
  • League of Arizona Cities and Towns Partner — Staffs ACMA operations.
  • League of Arizona Cities and Towns Partner — The namesake of the John J. DeBolske Professional Excellence Award, Jack DeBolske, was the Executive Director of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns for 40 years.
  • Mesa Partner — City Manager from Mesa participated in a 1963 meeting hosted by the organization.
  • Phoenix Partner — City Manager and Assistant City Manager from Phoenix participated in a 1963 meeting hosted by the organization.
  • Prescott Partner — City Manager from Prescott participated in a 1963 meeting hosted by the organization.
  • Tempe Partner — Representative from Tempe participated in a 1963 meeting hosted by the organization.
  • Tucson Partner — City Manager from Tucson participated in a 1963 meeting hosted by the organization.
  • Wickenburg Partner — Representative from Wickenburg participated in a 1963 meeting hosted by the organization.
  • Women Leading Government (WLG) Partner — Shares sponsorship opportunities with ACMA
  • various public institutions of higher learning in Arizona Partner — Affiliated with ACMA.