After five days in Long Beach, the record-breaking 2026 ICMA Annual Conference concluded with new ideas, substantive conversations, and connections that will extend far beyond the event. 

As local government professionals prepared to return home, the closing keynote offered a powerful reminder: The resilience of the profession rests not only on individual leadership, but also on the relationships that sustain it.

During the closing general session, Liz Bohannon, entrepreneur, bestselling author, and founder of Sseko Designs, brought a deeply personal perspective to the conversation about resilience. Known for building a socially conscious fashion enterprise that creates economic and educational opportunities for women, Bohannon drew on her experiences in business, relationships, and community to explore what sustains people through demanding work and challenging seasons.

Who supports the people everyone else depends on?

Her keynote, "Collective Resilience," offered a compelling answer. Through humor, storytelling, and moments of vulnerability, she challenged the notion that resilience means simply becoming more self-reliant.

Where Connection Begins

For Bohannon, that understanding began not with professional ambition, but with a decision to reach beyond the familiar.

Seeking a higher purpose, she left her corporate career and traveled to Uganda, hoping to find sisterhood among women whose lives were vastly different from her own, or, as she simply put it, “to make a friend.”

What began as a personal journey revealed a greater calling. There, she learned about the challenges facing women and girls, including the 130 million school-age girls without access to education. That experience eventually inspired a global enterprise creating employment and educational opportunities across multiple continents.

Through it all, she discovered that resilience is not something we build alone. It grows through shared experiences and a willingness to show up for one another. Yet recognizing the power of human connection does not always make meaningful bonds easier to build or sustain.

A Connection Recession

Bohannon described this growing disconnect as a “connection recession.”

Technology makes communication instantaneous, yet meaningful relationships can remain elusive. The demands of public service can leave even the most accomplished professionals feeling isolated. She emphasized that social health deserves the same attention as physical and mental well-being.

For city and county managers navigating competing priorities and community expectations, that message carries particular weight. The distinction between appearing capable and feeling supported is significant. A title may convey responsibility, but it rarely reveals the personal challenges someone faces beyond the role

Beyond the Title

The entrepreneur and author brought the conversation about social health into sharper focus through an exercise inviting attendees to anonymously share personal struggles they rarely discuss. Their reflections touched on loneliness, health, family, and self-doubt, revealing that even those entrusted with guiding communities face uncertainty.

As the entries appeared, attendees saw how many of their colleagues were navigating similar challenges. The moment underscored the value of trusted peers who offer honesty, encouragement, and perspective beyond the demands of public service.

“When we share our joy, it multiplies.”

Bohannon left attendees with a challenge: Make meaningful connections an intentional part of everyday life.

Building a Relationally Rich Life

Turning that message into action, she introduced the R.I.C.H. framework, four practices designed to cultivate deeper bonds and mutual support:

• R — Rhythms and Rituals: Build consistency through regular, purposeful interactions.
• I — Initiative: Take an active role in cultivating connection.
• C — Communication: Foster trust through thoughtful questions and honest conversations.
• H — Help: Create space to both offer and receive support.

Bohannon also shared a four-step approach to generative conversations, offering practical ways leaders can navigate disagreements and repair strained relationships. Regular peer engagement and recognition, she explained, can help employees feel valued and supported.

A Community for Those Who Serve Communities

The Annual Conference has ended, but its most valuable outcomes often take shape afterward.

Through ICMA's ongoing engagement opportunities, professional development, member networks, and programs such as Leadership ICMA, members build trusted circles they can draw on long after returning home. A conversation sparked in Long Beach can offer fresh perspective and turn a new connection into someone to lean on when the path forward feels uncertain.

Stay connected. Invest in others. And let others invest in you. That is the promise of collective resilience: Leadership is not measured only by what a person can carry, but also by the trust it takes to let someone else share the weight.

Save the Date: Philadelphia 2027

The connections continue at the 2027 ICMA Annual Conference, September 25–29, 2027, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Join fellow local government professionals for another opportunity to exchange ideas and explore the future of the profession.