Member Profile

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Laura Allen (she/her) is a Professor of Political Science at Anne Arundel Community College. Previously, she was a Budget Analyst III in the Office of Capital Budgeting at the State of Maryland Department of Budget and Management. She served as the Town Manager of Berwyn Heights, Maryland from November 2020 through November 2022. Prior to Berwyn Heights, Ms. Allen served as the Town Administrator of Berlin, Maryland from 2013 through 2019. Before moving to the east coast in 2013, she was the City Manager of the Town of Colma, California for five years. She has a Masters Degree in Public Administration along with over 34 years of public sector experience. Ms. Allen is a graduate of Leadership ICMA and the Senior Executive Institute (SEI) at the University of Virginia, Darden Graduate School of Business. Ms. Allen has a strong commitment to citizen engagement. She initiated strategic planning processes in both communities she managed. As the City Manager in Colma, she increased citizen engagement activities by 75%. In addition, she co-authored two publications on citizen engagement: • Think You Can’t Measure Resident Engagement? Think Again! Public Management Magazine, January/February 2012, www.icma.org/pm. • Measuring Community Engagement, ICMA InFocus Report, December, 2011. Ms. Allen is President-Elect of GFOA and Past-President of the Maryland City County Management Association (MCCMA). She is a Credentialed City Manager (ICMA-CM) and a Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO) in addition to being an avid runner and traveler.