Emerging Leaders Development Program

Mark Achen served more than 25 years as chief executive of cities in Minnesota (Mounds View), Missouri (Gladstone) and Colorado (Grand Junction). He retired in 2000 after leading Grand Junction through the devastating energy bust of the 1980s and its subsequent economic revival.  His tenure was the longest in that city’s history.  He began his career in 1972 as an assistant to the city manager of Ferguson, Missouri. 

Jim Bennett, a lifelong resident of Maine, grew up in the town of Lisbon. Serving first as a Lisbon Selectman at the early age of 21, Jim has been actively involved in public administration since 1982.  In addition to serving as an elected town official, he has managed seven municipalities, ranging from a small community of 2,500 up to the second largest city in the state.

Dr. Barbara Blumenfield (aka ‘Dr. Barb’) is an independent consultant, specializing in project assessment/assistance in both the public and private sectors. Previously she held the position of Regional Vice President-Government and Education Segment for Cigna Health Care, working in the Midwest as well as the Mid-Atlantic regions, where she provided overall leadership and management responsibility for public sector growth, membership and profitability objectives for both new and renewal business. In addition, she developed training programs for general sales, support, and management staff.

Dr. Roger L. Kemp has been a city manager of cities on both the West and East Coasts for over two decades.  He has served as a city manager in California, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Roger is presently a Fellow, The Academy of Political Science, New York City, New York. 

Felicia Logan is the director of Leadership Development at ICMA. In that capacity, she is the ICMA University team leader providing such management development activities for ICMA members as the Voluntary Credentialing Program, Senior Executive Series, Leadership ICMA, and the Emerging Leaders series. Passionate about leadership development and coaching, Logan is a regular at the Weldon Cooper Center's leadership and management activities. A member of the first class of women to be admitted to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Logan received both her B.A. and M.A. from that institution. 

Charlene Stevens has almost 20 years of experience in local government and nonprofit management.  Since August of 2011, she has served as city administrator for Willmar, Minnesota, a regional center of 19,000 located in west central Minnesota.