Dylan Russell, the Executive Director of Lead for North Carolina and Faculty Lead for Public Service Matters at the UNC School of Government, joined the podcast to talk about connecting young leaders to local government service. He shared his experience starting Lead for America and placing recent graduates in fellowships. He also discussed how local governments can support and retain talent as well as how local government and prospective fellows can get involved in the fellowship program. Host:...
Jun 27, 2025•59 min•Ep. 684
Polly Walker, Director of Organizational Performance and Innovation for the City of Henderson, Nevada joined the podcast to discuss the City's achievement of earning the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award . She talked about why the City chose to go after the award, building buy-in to the journey, and the organizational changes the process led to. She also shared her journey from entry level employee to department director, the City's emphasis on customer service, and how the City is still s...
Jun 20, 2025•58 min•Ep. 683
Two guests joined the podcast to talk about the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification program . Rochelle Haynes is the Managing Director for What Works Cities Certification at Results for America and Carrie Bishop serves as Data Initiative Lead for the Government Innovation Program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. They shared examples of local government problems solved through data analysis, what can hold cities back in their data journey and use cases for artificial intelligence...
Jun 13, 2025•54 min•Ep. 682
Brooks Williams, City Manager for the City of Ferris, Texas joined the podcast to discuss his passion for public service and building a responsive government. He shared how he transformed the City of Ferris into a results-driven local government and how they measure operating efficiency. He discussed his thought provoking LinkedIn posts on local government leadership and public service. He shared his views on the role of local governments in tragedy and the importance of community. Host: Ben Kit...
Jun 06, 2025•54 min•Ep. 681
Kellye Mazzoli, Founder & City Executive Coach at City Boss Coaching joined the podcast to discuss coaching those who lead our communities. She shared her transition from local government to coaching, what her coaching sessions entail, and how she stays up to date with the local government industry and how she keeps her edge to provide services to your clients. Host: Meredith Reynolds
May 30, 2025•54 min•Ep. 680
Scott Markley, Research Director for the National Zoning Atlas joined the podcast to discuss land use planning and residential segregation. He shared the Connecticut origins of the National Zoning Atlas, what the data is telling us, and how communities can utilize the atlas. This episode was recorded at the Missouri City-County Management Association 2025 Annual Conference. Host: Lauren Palmer
May 23, 2025•27 min•Ep. 679
Michael Jordan, the City Administrator for the City of Portland, Oregon, joined the podcast to discuss Portland's transition to a new form of government. He talked about the voter apporved change in 2022 and the work that went into preparing the organization for its first elections under the new form of government in 2024. He shared how the transition occurred, unexpected challenges during the transition, and how City Council members are adapting to their new roles. He also discussed his career ...
May 16, 2025•51 min•Ep. 678
Kim Nakahodo, a 2025 ELGL Top Influencer and Deputy City Administrator for the City of North Kansas City, Missouri joined to podcast to discuss her journey in local government. She shared the value of professional organizations and the importance of empowering and engaging youth. She also talked about the impact of losing a police officer in the line of duty and creatively involving the public in the budgeting process. This episode was recorded at the Missouri City-County Management Association ...
May 09, 2025•45 min•Ep. 677
Glen Cole, the Assistant City Manager and Community Development Director for City of Rolling Meadows, Illinois joined the podcast to discuss intoxicating hemp regulation at the local government level. He shared how intoxicating hemp is different than recreational marijuana and the lack of state regulation related to intoxicating hemp. He also discussed how local regulation was implemented in Rolling Meadows. Host: Dan Bolin
May 02, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 676
Emily Colon, former Deputy City Manager for the City of Lakeland, Florida, joined the podcast to talk about her career and two important management concepts. She recently wrote about the importance of nonpartisanship and she discussed how it can be a superpower for local government staff in an era of high polarization. She shared her approach for how she managed department directors and other positions in her career that were subject matter experts in their field when she was not, and how that c...
Apr 25, 2025•59 min•Ep. 675
Two guests joined the podcast to talk about the response to the Palisades Fire. Joseph Toney is the Acting City Manager for Malibu and Alexis Brown is the Deputy City Manager for Malibu. They discussed how these fire emergencies have affected staff and the importance of mutual aide. They also shared tips for other agencies who may face fire or other emergencies in the future. Host: Meredith Reynolds
Apr 18, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 674
Michael Welker, Director of Policy and Research Partnerships for the ncIMPACT Initiative at the UNC School of Government joined the podcast to discuss managing change. He talked about a recent report they released on Managing Disruption in a Rapidly Changing World . He shared why managing disruption is so important, the elements they identified as contributing to potential disruption, and examples of North Carolina communities showing resilience. He also discussed how communities can use the rep...
Apr 11, 2025•54 min•Ep. 673
Two guests joined the podcast to talk about trends in local government and futurology. Sheila Shockey is the Founder and CEO of Shockey Consulting Services. Grant Mayfield is a Public Administration Consultant for Shockey Consulting Services. They discussed their path to working with local government organizations and attracting people to the profession. Sheila shared her work as a futurists and how she thinks about the trends that will impact organizations. They both talked about the issues imp...
Apr 04, 2025•53 min•Ep. 672
Three civic starters joined the podcast to discuss their city management internships. Emilia Krajewski is a Management Intern for the City of Chandler, Arizona; Diksha is an Administrative Intern in Economic Development for the City of Saginaw, Texas; and Sarah Nissen is a City Management Intern for the City of Plymouth, Minnesota. They shared their main responsibilities during their internships, what projects they are working, and the most surprising thing they have learned. Host: Meredith Reyn...
Mar 28, 2025•58 min•Ep. 671
Grace Hanne, an Innovation Principal Analyst for Johnson County, KS joined the podcast to discuss the County's Sparks Pilot Program, which is an effort to encourage collaboration and innovation across the organization. The program brings together employees from different areas of the County to work on transformative projects. She detailed what benefits the County and its employees gained from the program and the reasons why local governments should focus and invest in the intersectional and inte...
Mar 21, 2025•42 min•Ep. 670
Three lawyers walk into a bar. Megan Mack and Greg Jones, both Partners at the local government law firm, Ancel Glink, joined the podcast to talk about recent cases impacting local governments. They discussed the Supreme Court ruling affecting camping bans in Grants Pass v. Johnson . They talked about two zoning cases involving a challenge from residents about a proposed wind farm and a church claiming religious discrimination because it had to apply for a special use permit. Lastly, they discus...
Mar 14, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 669
Kayla Barber-Perrotta, Deputy City Manager for the City of Albany, Oregon, rejoined the podcast to talk about her new role. She discussed the transition from Budget and Performance Manager to Deputy City Manager in a new state, what she was looking for in a new position, and the process to interview for a leadership role. She shared advice for others making a career change outside of their organization and how she got to know her new organization. She also talked about how her background in inno...
Mar 07, 2025•54 min•Ep. 668
Brianne Fisher, the Climate Action Manager for the City of Tempe, Arizona, joined the podcast to discuss sustainability and climate action. She talked about the importance of urban cooling to reduce risk from extreme heat and how green infrastructure plays a roll. She also shared key elements of the City's Climate Action Plan and the role of resiliency hubs. Host: Ben Kittelson...
Feb 28, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 667
Caitlin Lewis, Executive Director for Work for America, joined the podcast to discuss her work in tackling the government staffing crisis in communities nationwide. She shared information about their Civic Match program, opportunities the transition of federal administrations presents for local governments, and why she wants to ban the term ‘bureaucrat’. Host: Meredith Reynolds
Feb 21, 2025•49 min•Ep. 666
Amy Edwards Holmes, former Executive Director for the Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University joined the podcast to discuss data and artificial intelligence (AI) for the public good. She discussed use cases for AI for local government, how to safely use AI, and information about the GovEx City AI Connect . She also discussed how organizations can prepare their employees and why a good data approach can enhance the ability of the public sector to use AI. Host: Ben Kittelson...
Feb 14, 2025•43 min•Ep. 665
Bill Peduto, former Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, joined the podcast to reflect on his service as Mayor. He discussed the accomplishments that he is most proud of and advice he would give to young folks interested in local government or early career professionals. He also talked about his current role as a Distinguished Executive in Residency at the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. Host: Meredith Reynolds...
Feb 07, 2025•49 min•Ep. 664
Marissa Baum, Head of Communications for the City of East Hartford, Connecticut joined the podcast to discuss her role in communications. She shared her transition from museums to local government, how she made an award winning video for #CityHallSelfieDay, and provided insight on going viral in the national media. Host: Lauren Palmer
Jan 31, 2025•34 min•Ep. 663
Dr. Missy Stults, Sustainability and Innovations Director with the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan, returned to the podcast to give an update on the implementation of the A2ZERO Climate Action Plan and discuss the recent referendum where voters created a Sustainable Energy Utility . She shared how the sustainable energy utility will improve resilience and benefit residents, and what it will take to actually implement the new utility. She also discussed geothermal energy, an upcoming green rental hou...
Jan 24, 2025•58 min•Ep. 622
Tim Blakeslee, the City Administrator for the City of Plymouth, Wisconsin joined the podcast to discuss the trials and tribulations of a past ice rink project and how it almost became an episode of Parks and Rec . He shared how the public-private partnership was formed to build the ice rink, what issues occurred and how they were addressed, and how he is using the experience to apply it to a ski hill that is currently being built. Host: Lauren Palmer...
Jan 17, 2025•35 min•Ep. 661
Two guests from the joined the podcast to discuss transportation standards and how they shape the built environment. Nate Baker is an At-Large City Council Member for the City of Durham, North Carolina and Lauren Grove is the Vision Zero Coordinator for the City of Durham, North Carolina. Nate shared why a change was needed and building support for the resolution that Durham City Council adopted. Lauren talked about implementing the new standards including working with other departments in the C...
Jan 10, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 660
Three guests joined the podcast to discuss a new approach to managing and creating social media. Sam Toles is the Founder and CEO at CiviSocial. Ryan Hunt is the Communications and Events Manager and Anne Ambrose is the Assistant City Manager for the City of Cathedral City, California. They shared their new and innovative approach to social media, how they track success, and the importance of video content. Host: Lauren Palmer
Jan 03, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 659
It's the most wonderful time of year! From artificial intelligence and traffic engineering to recruiting and planning, our episodes covered a wide array of all that goes into local government. To celebrate 2024 and look forward to 2025, the GovLove co-hosts teamed up to give out the most prestigious award in local government podcasting. Lauren, Dan, Meredith, and Ben each selected three of their favorite episodes to award a GovieLovie. Hosts: Lauren Palmer , Dan Bolin , Meredith Reynolds , &...
Dec 27, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 658
Deborah Witzburg, the Inspector General for the City of Chicago, Illinois, joined to the podcast to discuss her current role. She shared the difference between an inspector general and auditor, how she determines which programs of the City to evaluate, and important changes she has implemented related to criminal justice reform. Host: Lauren Palmer
Dec 20, 2024•40 min•Ep. 657
India Adams-Jacobs, Town Manager of the Town of Bowling Green, Virginia, joined the podcast to talk about her career path and managing a small town. She talked about taking on her current role managing her hometown, the transition to get to know the organization, and how her previous roles prepared her for this role. She also discussed a "returnship" program she started in Colonial Beach that brought retirees in to help add capacity and skills to that small town. This episode was recorded at the...
Dec 17, 2024•35 min•Ep. 656
Two guests from the City of Long Beach, California joined the podcast to discuss civic user research. Ryan Kurtzman is the Technology Partnerships Officer and Gati Wankyo is a Training Coordinator. They discussed how civic user research helps the City to improve digital services and technology. They also shared examples of the research in practice and information on the learning cohort. Host: Meredith Reynolds
Dec 13, 2024•56 min•Ep. 655
