Kim Summers, Ethical Hero
Kim Summers, City Manager, City of Murrieta, was awarded the Cal-ICMA Ethical Hero Award in February 2021 by the Cal-ICMA Ethics Committee. The Cal-ICMA Ethical Hero Award recognizes Cal-ICMA members who have served in the local government profession with dignity, honor and integrity, and have demonstrated exceptional ethics while carrying out their duties in local government.
Ms. Summers has dedicated herself to the local government profession for over 20 years. An ICMA Credentialed Manager, she currently serves on the League of California Cities City Manager Department Executive Committee.
She has proven herself to be exemplary in demonstrating the ICMA Code of Ethics through her leadership, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her commitment to following this Code of Ethics is clearly exemplified in her actions and the culture of the City of Murrieta.
The first thing that you see when entering Ms. Summers' office is a framed copy of the ICMA Code of Ethics hanging on her wall. She has made it a discussion topic when onboarding new council members and employees. Before the pandemic, she implemented new organizational values citywide, focusing on principles laid out in the ICMA Code of Ethics such has public service, ethics, diversity, etc. She has created a new management and mentorship training program for employees, focusing on training ethical and principled managers. She continues to serve as mentor as well, always trying to pass on her passion for public service and ethical leadership on to others.
Ms. Summers always seeks to put the City and its needs first, which shows her commitment to serving the best interests of the community. She values respect and social responsibility in her role as City Manager, and has helped in establishing trust among her peers and the community.
Background
Ethics and integrity are the cornerstones of professional local government management. Many times, following the ICMA Code of Ethics is difficult and can have career limiting impacts in political climates. Adhering to high ethical standards usually goes unrecognized by the public or media. However, when these attributes are violated, it can damage the public’s sense of trust for all local government professionals.
In 2010, the scandal in the City of Bell rocked the core of the city management profession as individuals purporting to be local government professionals, for their own personal gain, illegally and deceitfully decimated the City. The tragedy in Bell was so extraordinary and caused so many negative repercussions that the Cal-ICMA Ethics Committee decided to recognize individuals who model the core values of the profession. Thus, the Ethical Hero Award was created.
Because ethics are so integral to the City Management profession, this award is viewed by Cal-ICMA as extremely high profile. It is only given to those that have gone above and beyond to display the highest level of professionalism and integrity through an ethical dilemma. Receiving this award is one of the greatest honors that an individual may achieve.