History of TCMA
The Tennessee City Management Association (TCMA) is the professional association of appointed city managers and administrators serving cities and other local governments in the State of Tennessee.

The TCMA focuses on professional development and TCMA membership now includes city managers and administrators and their principal assistants, in addition to representatives of the University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service.

The Executive Director of the TCMA is provided by the University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service through an agreement between the organizations.

Purpose of TCMA: To Improve the Proficiency of Local Government Managers
The purposes of TCMA are to increase the proficiency of city managers and other local government administrators, and to strengthen the quality of local government through professional management.

TCMA Member Services: Training, Education, and Communications
The Association sponsors two educational conferences for members each year. The conferences are typically held over a three-day period, one in the spring and another in the fall, at a location in the state selected by the Board, with programs emphasizing issues of special interest to Tennessee Managers. Nationally prominent trainers and speakers are featured on the program along with regional leaders in local government management. A representative of ICMA regularly attends both conferences. A relaxed environment and thoughtful scheduling make the conferences useful opportunities to retreat from regular business activity, be engaged with city managers who share similar concerns, and exchange ideas on local government issues.

Recent TCMA conferences have included sessions on such wide-ranging topics as leadership, performance management, federal and state regulatory matters, press relations, legislative updates, financial management, economic development, telecommunications issues, city council leadership, ethics, negotiation skills, roles of managers and assistants, identity theft, personnel management, and ICMA University Workshops.

The Annual Business meeting is held in conjunction with the Tennessee Municipal League (TML) Annual Conference in June. The TML has designated the Tennessee City Management Association an Affiliated Organization and representatives of the TCMA are active participants in policy-making by providing input and expertise on issues of importance affecting Tennessee cities and local governments. The TCMA President is a voting member on the TML Board of Directors. TCMA sponsors the Tennessee Dinner each year at the ICMA Annual Conference. The TCMA also provides an electronic mail newsletter to its members. A directory of members is updated annually and a hard copy is provided to members. The directory provides a photograph of members, employment and contact information. However, mailing lists are not made available for any purpose not specifically approved by the Executive Committee of the TCMA.

TCMA Public Services: For All Interested in Local Government
All TCMA meetings, conferences, and training programs are open to nonmembers upon payment of registration fees. Students of public administration are invited to attend certain meetings and social functions without charge.

The TCMA provides a bridge between practitioners and academicians in public administration.

Members of the TCMA regularly serve as speakers and panel members at a variety of educational and training meetings sponsored by professional associations and civic groups.

TCMA Ethics: The ICMA Code
All members of the TCMA agree to adhere to the ICMA Code of Ethics as a condition of membership in TCMA.

The ICMA Code of Ethics established broad principles for the personal and professional conduct of members. It is periodically reviewed and updated to ensure that the tenets of the Code reflect the profession's collective best judgment about principled behavior by local government managers.

ICMA Code of Ethics