I eargerly look forward to connecting with old friends and colleagues at this year's Transforming Local Government/FCCMA Conference, just as much as I look forward to discovering what local governments around the country and Canada are doing to be excellent communities! Partnering with the Florida City and County Management Association has been key to producing a successful conference this year. It has been a privilege to collaborate with one of the premier state city/county management associations.

We expect the keynote speakers will challenge us with new ideas on place making, where cities and counties are going in the future, and what it truly means to serve the people around you.

The break-out sessions will showcase what localities around the country and Canada are doing to lead their communities to a better tomorrow. They provide conference attendees the valuable opportunity to hear about some of the most innovative programs in local government today, directly from the teams that created them.  My thanks goes out to all of our presenters for their hard work in bringing and sharing their stories.

This conference is intended to provide the intellectual and inspirational resources needed to assist you in meeting the challenges of today.  I look forward to a wonderful week and hope you do too!

I’d also like to extend my thanks to our gracious hosts, the City of Clearwater and Pinellas County. Staff members have been working diligently for over a year to prepare for our arrival. They have put together a great program of networking opportunities and tours for conference attendees to experience the region and also sample their own applied innovations.  I hope you to see you there!

Tom Bonfield

City Manager, City of Durham, North Carolina

Chair, Alliance for Innovation Board of Directors