Washington, DC — Sheldon’s City Manager has received a designation from a professional organization.
Sheldon City Manager Sam Kooiker recently received the Credentialed Manager designation from ICMA, the International City/County Management Association. Kooiker is one of over 1,500 local government management professionals currently credentialed through the program.
ICMA says their mission is to advance professional local government through leadership, management, innovation, and ethics and by increasing the proficiency of appointed chief administrative officers, assistant administrators, and other employees who serve local governments and regional entities around the world.
To receive the prestigious ICMA credential, a member must have significant experience as a senior management executive in local government; have earned a degree, preferably in public administration or a related field; and demonstrated a commitment to high standards of integrity and to lifelong learning and professional development.
The organization says Kooiker is qualified for his ICMA credential by 13 years of professional local government executive experience. Prior to his appointment in 2018 as City Manager of Sheldon, he served as City Administrator in Cherokee and was twice elected Mayor of Rapid City, SD – which at the time of his service did not have a City Manager or City Administrator. His master’s in public administration is from the University of South Dakota. He is originally from northwest Iowa. Kooiker says his interest in local government began during his internship with the Sioux City Police Department in 1998, followed by the Rapid City Planning Commission in 2001 and five successful elections to the position of Ward 2 City Alderman on the Rapid City Common Council beginning in 2002.
Kooiker says he credits his wife Jennifer’s unwavering support as one of the major keys to his success.
Kooiker has also made significant contributions to a number of other organizations, including as a member of the Iowa League of Cities legislative policy committee since 2016, a Commissioner on the Iowa Civil Rights Commission since 2017, and as a past board member of Northwest Iowa League of Cities. He also served four years on the Board of Directors for the South Dakota Municipal League. He has long been an advocate for people with disabilities and for suicide prevention. For more information regarding the ICMA Voluntary Credentialing Program, contact Jenese Jackson at ICMA, 777 North Capitol Street, N.E., #500, Washington, D.C. 20002-4201; jjackson@icma.org ; 202-962-3556.
