Christopher Freeland, City Manager of Indian Wells, recently received the Credentialed Manager designation from ICMA, the International City/County Management Association. Mr. Freeland is one of over 1,300 local government management professionals currently credentialed through the ICMA Voluntary Credentialing Program and one of 104 credentialed managers in California, including retirees.
ICMA’s 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. The organization’s 13,000 members in 27 countries also include educators, students, and other local government employees.
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.
“We are immensely proud of Christopher Freeland’s achievement as a credentialed manager by ICMA. His dedication, leadership, and commitment to excellence have significantly contributed to Indian Wells’ success. We look forward to his continued impact in our community,” stated Mayor Greg Sanders.
Mr. Freeland has over 23 years of dedicated service in local government. He has served as City Manager of Indian Wells since his appointment in 2019. Previously, he spent 18 years with the City of West Covina, where he held several executive roles, including City Manager, Assistant City Manager, Community Development Director, Human Resources Director, Parks and Recreation Director, and Deputy City Manager. Mr. Freeland holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona, a Master of Public Administration from Cal State Long Beach, and is a graduate of the UC Berkeley Executive Leadership Program for Strategic Management of Public Organizations. He is currently finishing his Ph.D. in Political Science at Claremont Graduate University.
Mr. Freeland is a Past President of the Municipal Management Association of Southern California and has been active with the League of California Cities, including serving on various policy committees. In 2001, ICMA recognized Chris for his 20 years of service to local government. He has also been invited to speak at various conferences, including this year’s ICMA Conference, which will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in September.
