CMAO at the 91st ICMA Annual Conference Minneapolis
 City Managers across the globe gathered at the 91st ICMA Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America from 25th to 28th September 2005. This year with the invitation of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and International City / County Management Association (ICMA) Mr. N.C.Vasudevan, IAS, Patron, Dr. Arun Kumar Panda, IAS, President and Mr. Piyush Ranjan Rout, Coordinator participated in the annual conference.
 This year about 3000 participants congregated in the ICMA Annual Conference to share information on a wide variety of local government management issues and initiatives. The venue for the conference was Minneapolis with the theme “10,000 Lakes—10,000 Ideas.”
The conference has four keynote sessions on a variety of topics. During the opening session, former Nike, Inc., “Katalyst” Kevin Carroll encouraged City Managers to feel “the spirit of play in the workplace,” and bestselling author Robert Putnam addressed the issue of creating community in an increasingly isolating world.
 Garrison Keillor delivered the closing keynote, address enthralling the audience with stories about mythical Lake Wobegon which is featured in his long-running NPR radio program, A Prairie Home Companion.
The 2005 conference also featured a new “Solutions Track” of sessions presented in two theaters in the exhibit hall, ICMA University fora, workshops, local field demonstrations, and other special events and meetings at locations throughout the Minneapolis/Hennepin County area.
The conference gave an opportunity to the City Managers Association Orissa to interact with the international delegations and staff of ICMA towards strengthening the organization in India. Attending the conference was useful in many ways such as learning & sharing, motivation and role of a professional manger in city management.
CMAO circulated its brochure and newsletter at the ICMA Annual Conference Exhibition stall. CMAO initiated dialogue on building professional linkages with ICMA, working on City Links, setting Performance tracking system and working together on agendas of Global Interest benefiting both CMAO & ICMA.
CMAO gratefully acknowledges the roles of USAID, ICMA and Indo USAID FIRE Project for extending support to CMAO in attending the conference and disseminating its activities.
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