The ICMA Executive Board met in Bratislava, Slovakia, May 31–June 3, 2012, hosted and financially supported by the Slovak City Managers Association. In addition to the regular board agenda and decisions, the meeting included a discussion with representatives of other local government organizations on topics of mutual interest, four field trips to Slovakian communities, and a meeting with the deputy mayor of Prague and a member of the Czech association of chief executives on the role of local officials in the Czech Republic.

• The board participated in a discussion with members of other local government associations. They shared experiences on the challenges of delivering services with limited resources and the need for more citizen education and engagement in making decisions on how best to allocate those resources. They also discussed the benefits of sharing ideas and solutions with colleagues around the world who are grappling with similar issues. It was agreed that ICMA could play a helpful role in facilitating that exchange and that the Knowledge Network would be a good platform to share information and experiences.
• Each board member selected one of four field trips to Slovakian communities. Board member reports on their visits are provided at these links:

City Services in Nove Zamky

City Planning in Old Town Bratislava

Public Safety in Bratislava

Riverbank Rehabilitation in Piestany

The board also took these actions:

• Adopted a $33,588,984 FY2013 Budget (July 1, 2011–June 30, 2013) with revenue exceeding expenses by $336,000. The projected net contribution to assets of approximately 1% of revenue will enable ICMA to meet its overall reserve targets established in FY2008. The budget is based on a philosophy of responding to changing factors in the environment, while investing in the long-term strength of the organization. There are considerable risks in all business lines, but the budget plan is considered achievable with hard work and careful monitoring.
• Agreed on criteria and a process for the future selection of sites for the regional summits. Criteria include easy accessibility for attendees in the region and hotels that are both affordable and appealing. The board also asked that preference be given to council-manager communities when possible. The process will include an opportunity for state leaders to offer suggestions on possible sites.
• Reviewed discussions at the 2012 regional summits on implementing the regional nominations process that will launch this fall for the 2013 nominations and election of regional vice presidents. At the summits, the regional vice presidents emphasized the need for states and their leaders to think ahead on candidate selection and to be more strategic in efforts to build the pipeline of candidates. To help build connections prior to the 2013 summits when the first selection of nominees will take place, there was interest in convening quarterly conference calls with state presidents.  
• Selected Toronto, Canada as the site for ICMA’s 2020 Annual Conference and selected the West Coast for the 2021 Annual Conference.
• Reviewed progress on membership recruitment and retention. In April, 44 new in-service members joined in the United States in 18 states. Recruitment is at 81.1% of the target for new members by June 30 with 71% being in the entry-level to mid-management category. This has resulted in a net gain of 83 new members since the beginning of the fiscal year.
• Selected G. Curtis Branscome, Fernandina Beach, Florida, and Arne Croce, San Mateo, California, as Distinguished Service Award recipients. The awards will be formally presented at the closing session of the 2012 Annual Conference.
• Confirmed the schedule and process for conducting the executive director’s evaluation at the October 2012 board meeting.