The National Civic League added five new members to our board of directors, further diversifying the expertise of the civic leaders from around the U.S. who guide the direction of our nonpartisan, nonprofit organization.
Ray Baray, Chief of Staff of ICMA; T.C. Broadnax, City Manager of the City of Dallas;
Adam Carlisle, Vice President of Labor Relations for Southwest Airlines; Todd Connor, CEO of Veterans for Political Innovation; and Onyeka Obiocha, Executive Director of CTNext were each elected to three-year terms.
Meet our New Board Members
Ray Bara
Chief of Staff
ICMA
Ray Baray joined ICMA in May 2020 after a 25-plus year career in local and state government. In this capacity, Ray serves as an advisor to the Executive Director as well as the organization’s
second in command. Among Ray’s numerous duties, he also provides strategic oversight of the Racial Equity & Social Justice Action Team, which is charged with equity and inclusion programming and activities for ICMA membership and staff.
T.C. Broadnax
City Manager
City of Dallas
T.C. Broadnax began serving as Dallas City Manager on February 1, 2017, bringing a Service First philosophy to the city. Prior to joining the City of Dallas, he served as City Manager of Tacoma, Washington and has more than 25 years of local government management experience. Broadnax is an International City/County Manger’s Association Credentialed Manager and is recognized throughout the country for his significant contributions working in the public sector tackling issues relating to community and economic development, neighborhood revitalization, code enforcement, financial management and organizational leadership. His approach to public sector management and community engagement has been instrumental in enhancing quality of life for the residents of the cities he has served.
Adam Carlisle
Vice President of Labor Relations
Southwest Airlines
As Vice President Labor Relations, Adam is responsible for oversight of the Labor Relations department, working with the numerous labor organizations that support and represent the
Southwest Airlines Employees. At a Company where 82 percent of the Employees are represented by a Union, the Labor Relations department strives to maintain collective bargaining agreements that take care of our Employees, our Company, and our Shareholders. Since October 2022, Adam and his Team have ratified contracts for eight of Southwest’s 12 union-represented workgroups.
Todd Connor
CEO
Veterans for Political Innovation
Todd Connor is currently CEO of Veterans for Political Innovation, an organization he cofounded to give a voice and a platform for the military connected community to address political
polarization through election reforms and innovations. Todd is also the founder of Bunker Labs, a national entrepreneurship organization dedicated to helping the military-connected community start and grow businesses. Founded in Chicago in 2014, Bunker Labs has grown to over 35 chapters across the United States and serves over 1,200 entrepreneurs annually. Bunker Labs works to support the military connected community by offering programs for entrepreneurs to connect with the people, resources, and opportunities they need to be successful with their early-stage ventures.
Onyeka Obiocha
Executive Director
CTNext
Ony is responsible for managing CTNext’s full array of strategic economic development programs focused on fostering entrepreneurship, startup and growth-stage businesses while cultivating a robust innovation ecosystem on behalf of the State of Connecticut.
For more information about the National Civic League board of directors please visit https://www.nationalcivicleague.org/who-we-are/