Independent Cities Association

What Independent Cities Association does

Independent Cities Association (ICA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation founded in 1960 and domiciled in California, serving approximately 40 independent cities in Southern California (primarily Los Angeles County) that collectively represent more than 6.6 million residents. The association is governed by a Board of Directors composed of sitting elected officials from member cities, with a 2025-2026 Executive Board led by President Ray Jackson (Hermosa Beach), President-Elect Mary Solorio (San Fernando), VP David Fredendall (Glendora), Treasurer Dan O'Brien (Culver City), and Secretary Elen Asatryan (Glendale). Day-to-day operations are managed by Executive Director Courtney Torres, with PR and fundraising led by external consultant Greg Spiker of KSA Inc. The mailing address and operating base sit at a law firm office (Clumeck Stern Schenkelberg & Getzoff) at 17404 Ventura Blvd., Encino, CA.

ICA's core offerings are educational and networking events rather than technology products. The two flagship programs are the annual Winter Seminar (held each February with a public-safety focus) and the Summer Seminar (held each July on contemporary municipal issues), supplemented by an annual Board Installation Ceremony, Holiday Reception at City Club LA, regular Board Meetings, and a Pipeline of Education webinar series (covering topics such as the Levine Act). The organization markets through its website (icacities.org), an email newsletter (List-Manage), social media, and event-based promotion, and uses the Whova platform for seminar registration. There is no proprietary technology stack, no AI/ML product, no mobile app, no APIs, and no patents or trademarks.

ICA's revenue model is a hybrid of membership dues from member cities, seminar registration fees (complimentary at Gold sponsor level and above, valued at $750-$850), and a tiered Business Partners Program (Bronze $1,500 through Ultimate $15,000+ annually) that gives companies access to municipal decision-makers, recognition at seminars and on the website, and complimentary seminar registrations. The visible sponsor roster exceeds 35 companies spanning municipal law, utilities (SCE, SoCalGas), waste management (Athens, Waste Management, Republic Services), water agencies (WRD, Upper District, Regional Water Quality Control Board), public safety technology (Flock Safety, Skydio, Hayden AI, Netwatch Global AI, Palo Alto Networks), and consumer brands (Amazon Business, Reyes Coca-Cola, PBF Energy). Revenue is not publicly disclosed; ICA is not funded by outside institutional investors and operates as a stand-alone nonprofit association.

Name

Independent Cities Association

Legal name

Independent Cities Association

Website

https://icacities.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Independent Cities Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1960, serving ~40 Southern California independent cities through two annual educational seminars, board meetings, webinars, and a tiered Business Partners Program for sponsor companies seeking access to municipal officials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Encino

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Business Partner/Sponsor Program: ICA generates revenue through annual sponsorship packages ranging from $1,500 to $15,000+. Business partners receive recognition at two annual educational seminars, access to board meetings and special events, networking opportunities with city officials, and brand visibility on the ICA website. Sponsorship tiers include Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Ultimate levels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Independent Cities Association (ICA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association that provides educational seminars, networking events, board meetings, installation ceremonies, holiday receptions, and webinars for elected officials and staff of nearly 40 independent cities in Southern California. The Winter Seminar (February) focuses on public safety, and the Summer Seminar (July) addresses contemporary municipal issues. ICA also operates a tiered Business Partners Program (Bronze through Ultimate, $1,500 to $15,000+) that gives companies year-round access to municipal decision-makers in exchange for sponsorship.

Product overview

Independent Cities Association (ICA) is a nonprofit membership organization, not a technology product company. Its core offerings consist of educational events and programs: the annual Winter Seminar (February, focusing on public safety) and Summer Seminar (July, focusing on contemporary issues) serve as the primary platforms for collaboration between city council members, officials, and business partners. Supporting programs include the Board Installation Ceremony, Holiday Reception, regular Board Meetings, and the Pipeline of Education Webinar Series. ICA also operates a Business Partners Program providing sponsorship tiers for companies seeking engagement with local government officials. These offerings are educational and networking services, not software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Winter Seminar Annual winter educational seminar held in February that focuses on public safety issues, bringing together city council members, city officials, and business partners for collaboration, networking, and knowledge exchange.
• Summer Seminar Annual summer educational seminar held in July that focuses on contemporary issues affecting cities, featuring sessions, workshops, networking opportunities, and a golf tournament for city officials and business partners.
• President and Board Installation Ceremony Annual ceremony to install the new Board of Directors and President of ICA, typically held in September with dinner, entertainment, and recognition of outgoing leadership.
• Holiday Reception

Named customers42 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

39 partnerships are on record, tiered ultimate sponsor, diamond sponsor, platinum sponsor, gold sponsor, silver sponsor and bronze sponsor.

• Athens Servicesultimate sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerUltimate tier sponsor of ICA. Athens Services is a waste management and recycling company serving municipal clients.
• Amazon Businessultimate sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerUltimate tier sponsor providing business solutions and procurement services.
• Safer Los Angeles Countyultimate sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition focused on public safety initiatives in Los Angeles County.
• Tripe Smith & Associatesultimate sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerMunicipal financial consulting firm providing advisory services.
• Water Replenishment District (WRD)diamond sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond tier sponsor. WRD manages groundwater resources in Los Angeles County.
• Waste Managementplatinum sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum tier sponsor. National waste management company serving municipal clients.
• SoCalGasplatinum sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum tier sponsor. Southern California Gas Company provides natural gas services.
• Regional Water Quality Control Boardplatinum sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum tier sponsor. Government agency overseeing water quality.
• Aleshire & Wynder, LLPgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold tier sponsor. Law firm specializing in municipal law.
• Southern California Edison (SCE)gold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold tier sponsor. Utility company providing electricity services.
• SiteLogiqgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold tier sponsor. Technology and software solutions provider.
• Kosmont Companiesgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold tier sponsor. Real estate and economic development consulting firm.
• PBF Energygold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold tier sponsor. Oil refining and petroleum products company.
• Alliancegold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold tier sponsor. Organization name appears in logo form.
• Reyes Coca-Colagold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold tier sponsor. Coca-Cola beverage distribution company.
• Rehrig Pacificgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold tier sponsor. Logistics and supply chain solutions provider.
• Skydiogold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold tier sponsor. Drone technology company.
• Touchpointsgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold tier sponsor. Customer experience platform.
• Hayden AIgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold tier sponsor. AI solutions for smart cities.
• Republic Servicesgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold tier sponsor. Waste management and recycling services.
• BBK Law Firmsilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver tier sponsor. Law firm serving public sector clients.
• Palo Alto Networkssilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver tier sponsor. Cybersecurity solutions provider.
• Outfront Mediasilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver tier sponsor. Outdoor advertising company.
• Upper Districtsilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver tier sponsor. Water management district.
• Waste Resourcessilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver tier sponsor. Waste management services.
• TransTechsilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver tier sponsor. Transportation technology solutions.
• NIC Partners Incsilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver tier sponsor. Public sector technology solutions.
• Schmitz and Associatessilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver tier sponsor. Professional services firm.
• Netwatch Global AIsilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver tier sponsor. AI monitoring and security solutions.
• Parking Conceptssilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver tier sponsor. Parking management solutions.
• Flock Safetysilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver tier sponsor. Public safety technology for communities.
• Bowmansilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver tier sponsor. Engineering and consulting services.
• O.B. Mensah Organizationsilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver tier sponsor. Professional services organization.
• Nationwide Environmental Servicesbronze sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze tier sponsor. Environmental services provider.
• HDL Companiesbronze sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze tier sponsor. Building automation and energy management.
• IBE Digitalbronze sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze tier sponsor. Digital solutions provider.
• CDFAbronze sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze tier sponsor. California Democratic Farmers and Farm Workers organization.
• Syserco Energy Solutionsbronze sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze tier sponsor. Energy efficiency solutions.
• Southland Industriesbronze sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze tier sponsor. Mechanical contractor and engineering services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• National Civic League: Nonpartisan civic organization promoting effective local governance, citizen engagement, and democratic reform. Comparable nonprofit membership-driven structure with educational programming, though it operates nationally rather than within a single US region.
• California Association of Public Agencies for Reform Now (CAL-APARN): Association of California public agencies focused on pooling risk and shared services. Different operational mandate but a comparable regional California membership-association model serving local government entities.

Emerging players

• Public Technology Institute (PTI): National membership organization for local government technology leaders offering research, training, and convenings. Comparable events-and-education model serving municipal officials, though narrower technology focus rather than broad public-safety/infrastructure remit.
• Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN): North American network of local government sustainability and resilience directors offering peer learning and grants. Comparable membership-association model serving municipal officials but with a narrower policy focus and broader geographic remit.

Direct peers

• Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG): Regional council of governments serving 191 cities and 6 counties across Southern California. Closely comparable in geography (same SoCal footprint as ICA) and member base (independent cities and counties), though it focuses on regional planning, transportation, and housing policy rather than elected-official education.
• Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC): Regional professional association for mid-level municipal managers in Southern California providing networking, training, and events. Directly comparable in geographic focus (SoCal) and membership-association business model, though it targets career staff rather than elected officials.

Broad incumbents

• National League of Cities: National membership organization for US municipalities offering conferences, training, and federal advocacy. Comparable operating model (dues-funded nonprofit serving elected officials with annual events) but operates at national scale and is the federal-level analogue to ICA.
• League of California Cities: Statewide municipal association serving all 482 California cities with advocacy, training, and events. Directly comparable to ICA's mission but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic remit, making it the most obvious incumbent peer in the same civic/government membership space.
• California State Association of Counties (CSAC): Statewide membership association for California counties offering advocacy, training, and annual conference. Comparable dues-funded nonprofit structure and event-driven revenue model, but serves counties rather than independent cities and operates at a larger, statewide scale.
• International City/County Management Association (ICMA): Global membership association for local government managers and executives offering training, conferences, and credentialing. Comparable nonprofit membership-and-events business model serving municipal professionals, though it targets career city/county managers rather than elected officials.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/icacities
• Facebookfacebook.com/ICACities
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ica-independent-cities-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles28 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Independent Cities Association