More than 3,700 key local government decision makers, exhibitors, and guests from cities, towns, counties, related entities, and private-sectors firms throughout the world are expected in Seattle, Washington, September 27-30, to attend the 101st Annual Conference of ICMA, the International City/County Management Association.

“ICMA’s Annual Conference is the premiere educational event for local government professionals offered anywhere in the world,” said 2014-15 ICMA President James Bennett, city manager, Biddeford, Maine. “We have put together an outstanding program of keynotes, featured speakers, sessions, demonstrations, workshops, tours, and other professional development opportunities that combined with our expected near-record attendance, promise to result in one of our most successful events ever! It’s also a terrific way to kick off the second 100 years of the local government management profession.”

With the theme, “ICMA 101: Mastering the Fundamentals, Shaping the Future,” this year’s event looks ahead to ICMA’s second century and the challenges facing local governments. In addition to the educational, information-sharing, and networking opportunities offered by ICMA’s projects, affiliates, and public-and-private-sector partners, this year’s conference will feature five tracks of sessions that address those challenges:

• Equity and Empowerment in Public Policy Management,
• Making Local Government Relevant,
• Skills and Tools for the 21st-Century Manager,
• The Next Generation of Infrastructure, and
• Safely Steering through the Elements: Personally Surviving the Profession.

Visit the ICMA Annual Conference website (http://icma.org/en/icma/events/conference/welcome) and click on “Sessions” for detailed session information.

“We believe the ICMA Annual Conference is an excellent way for local government managers to come together to discuss current trends and also take advantage of a wide variety of professional develop-ment opportunities,” said Bob Schultze, ICMA-RC President and CEO.  “As the Principal Sponsor for the ICMA Annual Conference, we value the role the conference plays in the well-being of the communities that local governments serve.”

Conference keynote speakers will address topics from a range of backgrounds and perspectives:

• Sunday, September 27, 3:00-5:00 p.m.—The Opening General Session of ICMA’s 101st Annual Conference kicks off with a presentation by Shawn Achor, one of the world’s leading experts on the science of positive psychology. Shawn will offer research-based strategies for positive leadership and improved engagement designed to help attendees increase organizational productivity, creativity, engagement, happiness, and success.                  

• Monday, September 28, 8:30-9:30 a.m.—Diversity advocate, consultant, and author of Moving Diversity Forward: How to Go from Well-Meaning to Well-Doing, Vernā Myers has helped break down barriers of race, gender, and sexual orientation in thousand-member workplaces. In a funny and impassioned presentation, Vernā will encourage attendees to recognize their biases so that they can actively combat them, emphasizing a “low-guilt, high-responsibility” philosophy. She will also closely examine the subconscious attitudes we hold toward people who are different from us.

• Tuesday, September 29, 8:30-9:30 a.m.—Cited by The Wall Street Journal as one of the nation’s top business speakers and by Fortune as one of the “ten new gurus you should know,” Patrick Lencioni provides leadership models that improve organizational health, teamwork, clarity, employee engagement, and client service. He is author of 10 books that have sold over 4 million copies and have been translated into more than 25 languages; one of those books, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, continues to be a fixture on the best-seller list 13 years after it was first published in 2010.

• Wednesday, September 30, 8:30-10:30 a.m.—For more than 50 years, The Second City comedy theater in Chicago has been a training ground for some of the best comic minds in the industry, including John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Stephen Colbert, and Tina Fey. Kelly Leonard of The Second City Communications and coauthor of the popular new book Yes, And, will use comedy and the principles of improvisation to teach attendees how to thrive in a world increasingly shaped by speed, social communication, and decentralization.

Members of the media should also mark their calendars fora special telephonic press event on “Police, the Community, and the Manager,” featuring key local government leaders and experts on Tuesday, September 29, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific/2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Eastern. Details, including instructions on how to participate in the telephonic event, will be available on this page beginning 9/25.

Media representatives receive complimentary registration to attend any ICMA conference educational, special, keynote, or featured speaker session. To cover the ICMA Annual Conference or schedule interviews with ICMA member experts on a variety of topics, contact Michele Frisby at 202-962-3658 or mfrisby@icma.org. Or bring your press credentials and register onsite at the conference registration area located in the Atrium Lobby on Level 4 of the WSCC.

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About ICMA

ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, advances professional local government worldwide. The organization’s mission is to create excellence in local governance by developing and fostering professional management to build sustainable communities that improve people’s lives. ICMA provides member support; publications; data and information; peer and results-oriented assistance; and training and professional development to more than 10,000 appointed city, town, and county leaders and other individuals and organizations throughout the world. The management decisions made by ICMA's members affect millions of individuals living in thousands of communities throughout the world, from small villages and towns to large metropolitan areas.