I've recently returned home from England, having attended the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) annual summit, which took place in the city of Coventry. SOLACE is an ICMA international affiliate and, like ICMA, a professional membership organization, representing chief executive officers, or as we know them, city managers, and other local government officials (solace.org.uk). 

Coventry dates back to medieval times, when it was a walled city, and is where the beneficent Lady Godiva took her famous ride through cobblestone streets. Now a city of 315,000 residents, Coventry was devastated by the blitz during WW II. Its ancient cathedral remains in ruins to this day as a stark testament to the brutality of war and also, as dedicated by the citizens of Coventry, a memorial to peace and reconciliation. Coventry rebuilt and converted its war factories back to the automotive manufacturing center of the U.K. it had long been. Today, the city is outward looking, encircled only by a ring road, redeveloping its downtown yet again and seeking global economic development opportunities. 

The SOLACE president, Terry Huggins, attended the ICMA annual conference in Phoenix and contributed to the internationally oriented conference sessions providing the U.K. local government perspective. My participation at their conference, along with that of Wally Bobkiewicz, city manager of Evanston, Illinois, and a long-time and active ICMA member, was ICMA's way of reciprocating and demonstrating the mutual interest in sharing information from "across the pond."  Other international participants included representatives from ICMA affiliates in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

"Prosperous Places" was the theme of the Summit.  The following five work-streams provided the framework for the meeting and demonstrate the congruence of issues that both SOLACE and ICMA members grapple with:

1. Your Local Future: examined the meaning of "place" and the importance of creating distinct identities.

2.  A Democratic Path: examined the role of the Chief Executive in the democratic process.

3.  The Expectation of Prosperity: examined entrepreneurship, the importance of local economic leadership, and the role of Local Enterprise Partnerships.

4.  Doing Less with Less: examined new 21st-century models for service provision.

5.  An Informed Future: examined evidence as an essential part of assessing new approaches and good decision making. 

Keynote speakers from national government, the media, and the private sector addressed the plenary, and some 25 vendors exhibited. The Summit also provided several study tours related to the work-stream themes as well as social events in the city's finest public venues. One dinner reception was held in the vast expanse of the magnificent Coventry Cathedral which, through a soaring etched glass wall, overlooks the stark ruins of its ancient predecessor. The cathedral contains a small collection of clerical relics and stained glass salvaged from the rubble. The entire site dramatically illustrates the sacrifice, resilience, hope, and perseverance of the citizenry of Coventry in recreating their city and carrying on. 

The leadership of both ICMA and SOLACE remain committed to strengthening our partnership, and we will explore new ways of sharing information and supporting one another in furtherance of good local governance, professional city management, and better communities.