2018 ICMA Annual ConferenceThe California City Management Foundation (CCMF), Municipal Management Association of Northern California (MMANC) and Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC) are pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 ICMA Conference Scholarships: Lucky Narain of MMANC and Lori Karaguezian of MMASC.

Lucky Narain is a Senior Management Analyst for the City of Hayward. He recently began working in the local government profession, but has over eight years of military service experience. As a military veteran, he has significant experience leading teams, managing budgets, and resolving highly complex policy and legal issues on various bases.

From a career perspective, the ICMA conference supports my professional goals in three core areas: military veteran transition, diversity in municipal government, and professional engagement. Participating in the conference will position me to seek out others who have a similar military background to determine how to best advance my career in local government, as well as provide an opportunity to research strategies to increase diversity in the city management profession and engagement in the ICMA network.

Lori Karaguezian is a Principal Staff Analyst for the Orange County Sanitation District, with fifteen years of public sector experience. Her career has included working for the cities of Torrance, Lomita, and Santa Monica in the areas of Affordable Housing and Economic Development, Administrative Services, Open Space Management, and the City Manager’s Office.

What attracted me to the public sector was being able to contribute to making our cities a better place. Attending the ICMA conference will allow me to expand my knowledge about industry trends and best practices. Learning about the challenges other agencies have faced and how the have overcome them always helps me think outside of the box about issues I come across in my day-to-day work. I find it imperative to stay connected to ICMA so that I don’t lose sight of what’s going on in cities across the country.

From all of us at CCMF, MMANC and MMASC, congratulations to Lucky and Lori! We look forward to seeing you at the ICMA Annual Conference in September!