Overview
About Civic Ontario
Civic Ontario is the professional body for municipal CAOs and executive leaders operating at the centre of Ontario’s civic systems. It provides a trusted environment where senior leaders connect with peers, exchange perspectives, and strengthen their ability to navigate complexity and serve the communities that depend on them. Our origins go back to 1958 when a group of Chief Administrative Officers formed the Ontario Municipal Administrators Association to assist in the promotion of better local government. The Association was rebranded as Civic Ontario in 2026 to build upon the rich legacy of OMAA and extend itself to those operating at the centre of civic systems.
Board of Directors
The Association is governed by an eleven member Board of Directors. Directors are elected to serve for two year terms, with an option of advancing to executive positions.
The current Board of Directors
Staff
The Board is supported by an Executive Director who is responsible to the Board. You can reach our ED at [email protected]
By-Law
A By-law governs our work, including our role, our membership, responsibilities of our executive and procedural requirements. The By-Law is frequently updated to meet the challenges of today's membership.
The By-law
Code of Ethics
Active members agree to adhere to the Association's code of ethics. The Code of Ethics recognizes that as executive municipal leaders, CAOs, and Aspiring CAOs are already bound by other documents representing integrity, principled, and ethical behaviour. The Code of Ethics is a set of tenets that outline values and beliefs for senior leaders within the municipal corporation
Committees
The Board annually establishes or endorses the ongoing work of several committees. These committees are chaired by a Board Director, supported by the Executive Director, and are comprised of volunteers from the Board and general membership. Current Committees include: Aspiring CAOs, Awards, By-Law Review, Members in Transition, and Workshop Planning.
Privacy Policy
We are committed to protecting the privacy of our members and visitors to our website.
A Board approved Privacy Policy exists to protect the interests of our members.
Strategic Plan
Vision Statement
Civic Ontario stands as the summit of integrity and influence in public service leadership - empowering executives to embody courage, inspire trust, and drive transformation so that Ontario’s communities thrive under leaders worthy of the challenges of our time.
Mission Statement
Grounded in courage, anchored in service, and powered by community, Civic Ontario stands as the driving force of public sector leadership in Ontario—empowering executives through bold programming, focused collaboration, and transformative learning that builds purpose, resilience, and enduring impact across the communities they serve.
Read how our Strategic Plan's six primary objectives and action items enable us to accomplish this mission.