In three separate audioconferences, city and county managers from 11 jurisdictions in the eastern, central, and western regions of the United States tell how their communities are affected, steps theyve taken to cope with the recession, and how the strategies are strengthening their organizations. Moderated by Karen Thoreson, president of the Alliance for Innovation, these ground-breaking discussions bring together the jurisdictions that are participating in an Alliance for Innovation project to monitor how they are converting the challenging economy into an opportunity to strengthen their organizations. Eleven presenters from the regions discuss the innovation strategies and lessons learned from their own local government projects.