Local Gov Life

ICMA is a nonprofit dedicated to advancing professional local government management throughout the world. Local Gov Life is a mix of stories, insights, and advice from local government leaders.

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Episodes

Local Gov Life - S02 Episode 01: Reacting, Recovering, and Rebuilding from Hurricane Disaster

One day you're planning with your staff for the preparation of a hurricane; the next day, you're surveying damage from the worst natural disaster in the state's history. Meet Paul Shives, business administrator of Tom's River, NJ, a community greatly affected by the damage left in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The township of 92,000 people suffered 9,200 damaged structures, 750,000 cubic yards of storm debris, and $38 million worth of damage to township property and infrastructure. Hear how Tom's...

Oct 12, 2017•23 min•Ep. 7

Local Gov Life - S01 Episode 06: The Next Generation of Leaders

According to the Center for State and Local Government Excellence’s Local Government Workforce of Tomorrow report , “Local governments will face significant challenges in attracting and retaining talent in the years ahead as retiring baby boomers are replaced by a workforce that is younger, more diverse, more mobile, and more reliant on information and communication technologies.” Episode 6 of Local Gov Life explores this issue by asking next-generation leaders and managers about effective ways ...

Oct 12, 2017•21 min•Ep. 6

Local Gov Life - S01 Episode 05: The Opioid Epidemic

Episode 5 explores how communities use collaboration and innovation as effective tools for responding to the current opioid crisis. The episode features Lee Feldman, city manager, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Patrice Harris, MD, chairwoman of the American Medical Association Board of Directors, and Brent Fedors, county administrator, Gloucester County, Virginia. For more tips and best practices on managing the opioid crisis, download the October 2016 issue of PM magazine . About ICMA ICMA’s vision ...

Oct 12, 2017•15 min•Ep. 5

Local Gov Life - S01 Episode 04: ICMA Annual Conference Preview

This episode helps the listener prepare for the 2016 ICMA Annual Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. Listen to host committee members and conference attendees discuss how this year's conference will be a 'transformative' experience. For more on the ICMA Annual Conference, visit https://conference.icma.org/. About ICMA ICMA’s vision is to be the leading association of local government professionals dedicated to creating and supporting thriving communities throughout the world. We do this by work...

Oct 12, 2017•7 min•Ep. 4

Local Gov Life - S01 Episode 03: Reinvigorating Downtown

Episode 3 takes an in-depth look at the downtown initiatives of three different communities and the strategies their local government leaders are using to reinvigorate their downtown districts. This episode features Wally Bobkiewicz, city manager, and Damir Latinovic, neighborhood and land use planner, city of Evanston, Illinois, David Rauch, business analyst, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and Peggy Merriss, city manager, Decatur, Georgia. For more on main streets at work, download the August 2016 ...

Oct 12, 2017•16 min•Ep. 3

Local Gov Life - S01 Episode 02: Go Ahead—Laugh!

This episode takes an in-depth look at humor in the workplace and explores how leaders use humor as an effective leadership tool. This episode features Patrick Malone, Ph.D., director of the Key Executive Leadership Program, American University, Opal D. Mauldin-Robertson, city manager, Lancaster, Texas, and Jim Bennett, city manager, Biddeford, Maine. For more on humor in the workplace, download the July 2016 issue of PM Magazine to learn why professionalism and humor will always make for a wond...

Oct 12, 2017•13 min•Ep. 2

Local Gov Life - S01 Episode 01: Community and Organizational Volunteerism

This episode of Local Gov Life takes an in-depth look at volunteering and will look at how communities attract and manage volunteers. This episode features Edward Lavallee, city manager, Venice, Florida, John Stephens, associate professor of public administration and government at the University of North Carolina, Patricia Stevens, executive director of the Office of Public Private Partnerships (OP3), and Bryan Montgomery, city manager, Oakley, California. For more tips and best practices on att...

Oct 12, 2017•17 min•Ep. 1

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