GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government (Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL))

Spending stimulus dollars responsibly. Chris Fabian, the CEO and Co-Founder of ResourceX, joined the podcast to talk about the funding for local governments within the recently passed federal stimulus package, the American Rescue Plan Act. He shared best practices for local governments to spend and allocate the stimulus funds along with how to distribute the money equitability. He also gave guidance on budget development for the coming year.

Host: Kirsten Wyatt

Empathy and change. Veronica O. Davis joined the podcast to talk about her book, Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities. She discussed a different way to center equity in transportation, the importance of centering people in the planning process, and how the history of a community impacts their current transportation needs. She also shared her career path in local government and what made her want to write the book. 

Host: Ben Kittelson

Adventures in Stockton. Two guests joined the podcast to talk about their award-winning planning project in Stockton, Illinois. Both guests work for All Together, Marisa Schulz is the Principal and Abigail Rose is the Senior Planner and Designer. They shared what made the project special, lessons learned, and the importance of creative placemaking. They also responded to audience questions.

This episode was recorded at the American Planning Association - Illinois Chapter Annual Conference.

Host: Dan Bolin and Andy Cross

Civic dreamer and doer. Sarah Moss joined GovLove to talk about her unique career path that has switched between campaign and political roles to administrative roles. She shared what led to her first role in politics and how she ended up in local government. Sarah also discussed her work as a consultant and her professional philosophy.

A panel of government planning lawyers joined to podcast to share their experiences in local, state, and federal planning law. They shared their career paths along with what they do in their current positions. The panel included: Tina Axelrad, Zoning Administrator for the City and County of Denver, CO; Samuel Capasso, Community Infrastructure Resilience Branch Chief for FEMA; Nestor Davidson, Professor of Real Estate, Land Use and Property Law at Fordham University; Daniel Arking, Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Detroit, MI; and Kimberly Mickelson, Chair for the Government Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.

Host: Dan Bolin

When public administration is a family business. Monica Davis, Deputy City Administrator for the City of Oakland, California, and Poonam Davis, Retired City Clerk for the City of Long Beach, California, joined the podcast to talk about their careers in local government. Monica shared what she learned growing up with parents in public service, Poonam shared her path to local government, and they both discussed balancing work and life.

Host: Meredith Reynolds

Behind the scenes of recruiting a City Manager. Mayor Rick Rogers from the City of Newberg, Oregon joined the podcast to talk about how they are approaching hiring a new City Manager. He describes the community and what the City Council is looking for in a new manager. Mayor Rogers also shared his path into public service.

Host: Kirsten Wyatt

Behind the scenes of public deliberation. Two guests joined the podcast to talk about their book, Facilitating Deliberation - A Practical Guide. Nicole Hunter, Co-Founder & Managing Director at MosaicLab, and Keith Greaves, Co-Founder & Director at MosaicLab, discussed core concepts, processes, and meeting formats for deliberation. They also provide strategies for addressing unconscious bias and polarization.

Host: Kirsten Wyatt

Authentically reflecting community values. Amina Cooper, Program Director of Public Art CLT for the Arts & Science Council, joined the podcast to talk about creating more equitable and diverse public art. She discussed the recent efforts by communities across the country to rethink their public art and what it emphasizes or honors. Amina also talked about how the way public art programs are administered can exclude artists from marginalized backgrounds.

This is part of ELGL’s Creative Community, a partnership with ArtPlace America and CivicArts to write, explore, share, and learn about creative placemaking.

Host: Javon Davis

Open data and innovation from coast to coast. Brendan Babb, the Chief Innovation Officer of Anchorage, Alaska and Sam Edelstein, the Chief Data Officer of Syracuse, New York join GovLove. They answered questions from our listeners, talked about how innovation doesn't have to be fancy and the role of an innovation office in a city.

Tackling complex challenges affecting Toronto residents. Paula Kwan the Director of the Civic Innovation Office for the City of Toronto joined the podcast to talk about leading an Innovation Team and driving culture change in an organization. Paula discussed her career path, which started in Toronto's technology sector, and working on issues like translation for residents that speak many languages. 

Host: Ben Kittelson

Using tech and innovation to improve people's lives. Two CIOs, one city. Jose De La Cruz the Chief Innovation Officer and Craig Hopkins the Chief Information Officer from San Antonio, Texas joined the podcast to talk about how they work together to make the City better. They shared how San Antonio is approaching being a smart city, how they work with operational departments and more.

Taylor Wegrzyn, Director of Economic and Community Development at the City of North Chicago, Illinois and Siraj Asfahani, Vice President at The Lakota Group joined to podcast to discuss the City of North Chicago's award-winning Comprehensive Plan. They discussed the need for more frequent revisions of a comprehensive plan and the unique opportunities of coordinating with the federal government. They also discussed the robust community outreach and resident engagement that informed the development of the plan.

This episode was recorded at the American Planning Association – Illinois Chapter Annual Conference.

Host: Dan Bolin and Andy Cross

Two guests joined the podcast to discuss financial empowerment. Tamara Lindsay is Chief of Strategy for the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund and Janae Bradford is the Director of the Office of Financial Empowerment and Community Wealth at the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma. They shared what financial empowerment centers are, what programs the centers offers, and how a local government can start their own center.

Host: Lauren Palmer

Transparency before it was cool. Three people from the City of Kansas City, Missouri joined the podcast to talk about how KCMO uses data to inform their decision making and how they hold themselves accountable to achieving their strategic plan. Kate Bender, Deputy Performance Officer, Bo McCall, Performance Analyst, and Chris Hernandez, Communications Director, shared the story of KC Stat, a monthly data and performance meeting. They also explained how the What Works Cities Certification helped them and what they learned from going through that process.

Navigating the Supreme Court decision. Earlier this year the case of Janus v. AFSCME changed part of the relationship between local governments and unions. No longer can cities and counties collect union dues for non-union employees that benefit from union negotiations. Matthew DiCianni from the Chicago based law firm, Ancel Glink, joined the podcast to talk about the role of unions and the impact of the Janus decision.

Chelsea Jackson, Deputy City Manager for the City of Douglasville, GA joined to podcast to discuss her role and leadership approach. She talked about the importance of building a pipeline for new talent, her career transition to Deputy City Manager, and provided advice for those looking to make the leap to management positions. She also shared her career path which started as a local government management fellow.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Two Mayors and a Chief of Staff. Mayor Danene Sorace, former Mayor Rick Gray and former Chief of Staff Pat Brogan joined the podcast to talk about creating and advancing Lancaster's strategic plan. Mayor Gray and Pat Brogan shared the creation of the city's first strategic plan and current Mayor Sorace talked about embracing and continuing to advance the plan. They also shared their paths into public service, the role of Chief of Staff and both mayors' perspectives on leadership.

Inspiring equitable cities. Lucas Grindley, the Executive Director of Next City, joined the podcast to talk about local journalism and the role Next City is filling by covering issues that impact cities. He discussed non-profit news organizations and solutions journalism. Lucas also shared he career path into journalism and the topics Next City has covered that local governments can learn from.

Host: Javon Davis

Being bold and pushing boundaries. Daniel Roberts, the Head of Communications at BrightDrop, joined the podcast to talk about lessons he's learned as a leader early in his career. He discussed his leadership philosophy, developing staff, and working in both the public and private sectors.

This episode was recorded from the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) Forum 2022 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Host: Toney Thompson

Building a better Hoboken. Caleb Stratton, Assistant Business Administrator and Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Hoboken, NJ joined the podcast to talk about storm resilience and infrastructure. He shared what improvements the City has made after Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, how parks can be used to improve stormwater infrastructure, and how the City has coordinated with other governmental partners to improve flood mitigation. He also discussed the City's Rebuild By Design project which aims to improve resilience through four integrated elements: resist, delay, store, and discharge.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Film permits, building applications and more. Dale Fisseler, the City Manger of Waco, Texas, joins GovLove to talk about his career and managing a college town. He also discussed the impact of the TV show Fixer Upper on the city's planning and inspections department, as well as his journey from the water department to the city manager's office.

Getting the work done. Hana Schank, Public Interest Technology Fellow for New America, joined the podcast to talk about her recently published report on innovation in government. She interviewed problem solvers working across Federal, State and local governments to learn how they are trying to make government services better for residents. From what this field of innovation should be called, what teams across the country look like and common projects that teams are working on, Hana gave more info on what she found in her report. She also talked about the necessity of buy-in from top leadership and the importance of process over technology. 

Read the report: Getting the Work Done - What Government Innovation Really Looks Like

The state of ELGL is strong. Maggie Jones is the Chair of the ELGL Board of Directors and Assistant Director of Community Development for Tarrant County, Texas. Maggie joined the podcast to provide listeners with an update on ELGL. She shared what makes the organization special, how members can maximize their membership, and a preview of ELGL 24. Maggie also talked about her career path and is rumored to have shared a membership promo code during the episode for listeners.

Host: Rafael Baptista

Host: Ben Kittelson

Democratizing data science. Two members of the Civis Analytics team join the podcast to talk about their work and engaging with local governments around Census 2020. Mo Cheeks is a Sr. Business Development Manager, and former Madison, WI Council Member, and Christopher Dick is the Managing Director of Civis Analytics. They talked about using data in a Census outreach campaign.

Host: Kent Wyatt

The Land Bank Dollar Sale. Brian Platt, City Manager for the City of Kansas City, Missouri, joined the podcast to talk about the Land Bank Dollar Sale. He shared other creative things the City is doing to expand housing options for the unhoused community. Brian discussed starting a new Housing Department within the City. He also shared lessons learned while working with the unhoused community and the next steps for others looking to start this work.

Host: Kirsten Wyatt

Mandate to be great. Dr. Rob Graham, the Founder & CEO of Techno-Resiliency.com, joined the podcast to talk about his book, Mandate to be Great: The 5 Traits of Techno-Resilient People and Organizations. He shared the definition of Techno-Resiliency and how it relates to organizations.  He discussed pockets of resiliency and how to find them.  Lastly, he provided in-depth information on the five traits of techno-resiliency.

Host: Kirsten Wyatt

LouieStat and changing culture. Daro Mott, the Chief of Performance Improvement for the City of Louisville, Kentucky, joined the podcast to talk about their use of data and focus on process improvement. Daro described Louisville's particular focus on professional development and training employees to change culture. He also shared his path into local government and their work to earn the What Works Cities Certification.

Empowering new leaders. Niel Laudati,Legislative and Public Affairs Director for the City of Springfield, OR, joined the podcast to talk about how the City is working to empower under-represented leaders. Through their City Link program participants meet leaders from different departments, learn about local government and build their resume for serving on boards or running for office. Niel also shared his career path in local government and his passion for Springfield.

Host: Kirsten Wyatt

Putting people first. Four guests joined the podcast to talk about human centered design in Chicago Public Schools. They discussed the CPS community toolkit, building strong design teams, and gaining leadership buy-in. They also shared how other local governments can implement human centered design. Adrian Segura is the Chief Officer for Family and Community Engagement at Chicago Public Schools. Kathleen Carlson works on special projects for Bloomberg Philanthropies. Laura Biltz is a Design Consultant and Manager at Conic. Ruben Ocampo is the Founder of Conic.

Host: Kirsten Wyatt

The most prestigious award in local government podcasting. The GovLove co-hosts teamed up to hand out awards and recap another year of a podcasting about local government. Lauren, Dan, Meredith, and Ben selected three of their favorite episodes to award a GovieLovie. They also shared their highlight from 2023, dream guests for 2024, and what they are obsessed with. Hosts: Lauren Palmer, Dan Bolin, Meredith Reynolds, & Ben Kittelson 

The 2023 GovieLovies 

Lauren

1. Alternative 911 Responses with Gabriela Solis, Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab
2. Family Focused Urbanism with Barry Greene Jr., Density Dad
3. Local Government 2030 with Megan Caron, Elizabeth McDonald, and Ryan Webb

Dan

1. Building a Customer Service Culture with Melissa Cantarero Weiss, Wauwatosa, WI
2. Housing Choices and Building Opportunity with Spencer Gardner, Spokane, WA
3. Performance and Process Improvement with Kayla Barber-Perrotta, Brighton, CO

Meredith

1. Humans in Public Service with Brian Whittaker
2. Vision Zero and Tactical Urbanism with Barkha Patel, Jersey City, NJ
3. State of ELGL with Maggie Jones, Tarrant County, TX

Ben

1. Community Carbon Neutrality in Ann Arbor, MI with Dr. Missy Stults
2. High Performance Organizations with Hannes Zacharias, University of Kansas
3. Hiring a 21st Century Workforce with Alex Lawrence, Boston, MA

Rafael: Performance and Process Improvement with Kayla Barber-Perrotta, Brighton, CO

Toney:Inclusive Recovery Toolkit with New Growth Innovation Network

Producer Pick from Pizza Mike:Small Town Management and Tourism with Greg LeBlanc, Snowmass Village, CO

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 discussed an equal protection case involving a municipality's interactions with a property owner. They also shared the partnership their firm has had with the Chicago Metro Section of the American Planning Association (APA) Illinois Chapter.

Host: Dan Bolin

Placemaking and economic development. Sandi Curd, Promise Zone Coordinator for the Kentucky Highland Investment Corporation, joined the podcast to talk about her work supporting communities and small businesses through placemaking. She shared how the Promise Zone impacts the 22-county service area in southeastern Kentucky and how placemaking can serve as an economic incubator. Sandi also discussed placemaking examples and how the community drives what they do.

This episode is part of ELGL’s Creative Community series, a partnership with ArtPlace America and CivicArts to write, explore, share, and learn about creative placemaking.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Curating Professional Development with Jessica Deakyne and John StefanskiTwo guests joined the podcast to discuss curating professional development. Jessica Deakyne is the Assistant City Manager at the City of Novato, CA and John Stefanski is the Assistant City Manager at the City of San Rafael, CA. They discussed the importance of professional organizations, the UpNext professional development program, and why local government should invest in professional development.

Host: Meredith Reynolds

Examining the equity and effectiveness of emergency communications systems. Rebecca Neusteter, the Executive Director of University of Chicago Health Lab, joined the podcast to talk about the Transform911 initiative which is exploring how the nation’s 911 system can better prioritize health and safety and ensure the right responder is dispatched at the right time. She shared the history of emergency response services in America, ways to build trust in the 911 system, and ensuring staff have the appropriate support and capacity. She also discussed new approaches and best practices that local governments are testing out to improve 911 response.

Host: Alyssa Dinberg

The President of the Greater Providence, Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, Laurie White, joined the podcast to share how Providence works to attract businesses and entrepreneurs. She talks about how important it is to know your workforce, what businesses are looking for and how she works together with the State Secretary of Commerce.  

From the NFL to the campaign trail. Aaron Rouse, former Green Bay Packer, is running for City Council in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He talked about why he's running for office, how local government needs to change to be more inclusive and representative of the people it serves. Aaron shared his vision for Virginia Beach, collaborating regionally and serving all residents in the city.

Building a foundation. Two guests joined the podcast to talk about strategies for affordable housing. Jerrah Crowder is a Manager for the Office of Affordability and Sustainable Housing for the City of Newark, New Jersey, and Namon Freeman is a Manager for Housing Affordability at Bloomberg Associates. They discussed housing goals in Newark, the effects of COVID-19 on affordable housing, and what other cities can do to get started to address the issue.

Host: Alyssa Dinberg

Understanding the drivers of poverty. Two members of the Office of Innovation and Strategic Initiatives joined the podcast to talk about their work addressing poverty and working with departments to use data. Henry Fitts is the Grant Management and Research Coordinator and former Director of Innovation and Kate May is the City's Chief Performance Officer. They discussed the City's work in helping residents find employment and testing a micro loan program for entrepreneurs.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Sara Bronin, Professor of Architecture and Planning at Cornell University, joined the podcast to discuss a recent article she wrote about the need for a zoning atlas. She talked about her time on the Planning Commission in the City of Hartford, Connecticut and how they updated the City's zoning code. She discussed founding Desegregate Connecticut and creating the Connecticut Zoning Atlas as well as how better information about zoning affects the conversation about reform.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Odie Donald, Chief of Staff for the City of Atlanta, Georgia, joined the podcast just before his transition to his current job to talk about his time as the Administrator for the consolidated government of Augusta–Richmond County, Georgia. He discussed the City's work engaging the community and incorporating feedback into the budget process. He also talked about leading the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic and the incentive program the City offered to encourage vaccinations. Odie also shared his career path and his new role with the City of Atlanta.

Host: Ashley Copeland

Clarence Anthony the CEO/Executive Director of the National League of Cities (NLC) joins GovLove to talk about the work of the organization and his path into elected office. Clarence ran for Mayor of South Bay, FL at the at of 24 and was elected by 33 votes. He shared the work being done at the NLC around infrastructure, smart cities and other issues facing cities both large and small. 

In Governing and Living Cities' 2018 Equipt to Innovate survey the City of Fayetteville, North Carolina was chosen as the top overall performer. Rebecca Jackson, the Strategic Performance Analytics Director, joined the podcast to talk about her work and what it means to be chosen as the most innovative city in the nation. Rebecca shared Fayetteville's approach to strategic planning, how they include resident input and their process improvement work. 

This interview was recorded from the North Carolina Local Government Budget Association (NCLGBA) 2018 Summer Conference in Atlantic Beach, NC.

From doer to leader. Eric Marsh, Assistant Town Manager of the Town of Rolesville, North Carolina, joined the podcast to talk about his work and career path. He discussed the transition into leadership and how he learned about his own leadership style. He also shared how he got to know the Rolesville organization and how the Town is managing growth and development.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Local governance done well. Ian McCormack, the President of Strategic Steps, Inc. a local government consulting firm, joined the podcast to talk about his new book Who's Driving the Grader? He discussed what led to the writing of the book and who he wrote the book for. He also shared his career path and his perspectives on leadership and governing.

Host: Alyssa Dinberg

Robert Sturns, Economic Development Director for the City of Fort Worth, Texas, joined the podcast to discuss his role and how the City works to guide growth and development. He talked about the importance of strategically growing during rapid population rise and Fort Worth's downtown development. He discussed the value of small business and entrepreneurs, as well as how the City supports that sector of the economy. He also shared the City's role in revitalization and in bringing new industries to the region.

Host: Ben Kittelson

We take the last episode of the year to recognize our favorite episodes and interviews of 2017. GovLove hosts Kent Wyatt, Kirsten Wyatt and Ben Kittelson all handed out awards in different categories to their 15 favorite episodes. The episode also covered the most listened to episodes of the year and plans for 2018.

Topics: 2017 recap (1:05), Most listened to episodes (4:05), Segments! Best gifts & funniest ELGL thing in 2017 (7:55), The GovieLovie Awards (16:30), Looking ahead to 2018 (1:00:20), and Can't let it go (1:06:00).

Awards:

Tee Hee: #155 Practical Innovation in Syracuse & Anchorage with Sam Edelstein & Brendan Babb

Data Download: #135 Harnessing the Power of Data with Leigh Tami, Cincinnati, OH

5 O’Clock Somewhere: #140 Mayor Levar Stoney, Richmond, VA

Sticky: #160 Serving with Your Whole Heart in Little Rock, Arkansas with Melissa Bridges & Susan Langley

Mind Opener: #104 Empathy & Disruption in City Management with Kelly McAdoo

Tag Team: #147 Local Government Law: Are You Tweeting Into Trouble? With Dan Bolin & Julie Tappendorf

Hire Me Now: #122 Broadening Neighborhood Engagement in Seattle, WA with Kathy Nyland

Unexpected Magic: #154 Battling Homelessness in San Rafael, CA with Andrew Henning

Knope of the Year: #143 Commissioner Denise Driehaus, Hamilton County, OH

Brought Me To Tears: #158 Managing Crisis in Gatlinburg, TN with City Manager Cindy Cameron Ogle

Dream Come True: #167 The New Urban Crisis with Richard Florida

Innovation, Baby! #105 The Wellbeing Initiative with Julie Rusk, Santa Monica, CA

Wonk: #162 Behavioral Insights & Benchmarking in Scottsdale, AZ with Brent Stockwell

Elephant in the Room: #132 Race & Diversity in the Planning Profession with Giovania Tiarachristie

I want you back again: #119 GFOA's New Executive Director, Chris Morrill

Putting people in the process. Four guests from the City of Fort Collins, Colorado and the City of Norfolk, Virginia joined the podcast to talk about equity and data in climate action planning. They discussed how the Cities are modifying their climate actions plans to be more equitable and the What Works Cities certifications. John Phelan is the Energy Services Manager in Fort Collins, Molly Saylor is the Senior Sustainability Specialist in Fort Collins, Pete Buryk is the Chief of Staff in Norfolk, and Lori Crouch is the Director of Communications in Norfolk.

This episode was recorded live at the #ELGL21 Annual Conference.

Host: Alyssa Dinberg

Getting outcomes from engagement. Kit Cole is a public engagement consultant and a board member of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2). She discusses the value and types of engagement, plus the importance of engagement in local government. Kit also compares the approaches to engagement in big, urban cities like Los Angeles versus small, rural communities like Brownsville, Oregon. Prior to becoming a consultant Kit worked for public utilities, Waste Management Inc. and the California state government. 

Big ideas in small cities. Three guests joined the podcast to talk about the Texas Target Communities program. Kara Escajeda is the City Manager of Nolanville, Texas. Dr. Wei Li is an Associate Professor and Jaimie Masterson is the Director at Texas Target Communities, both from Texas A&M University. They outlined the innovative partnership between the city and university. They shared the greatest outcomes of the partnership along with how to get involved.

Host: Alyssa Dinberg

How relief funds are being spent. Michael Hotard, Director of Operations at CivicPulse, and Kevin Kearney, City Manager of the City of Bradbury, California, joined the podcast to talk about COVID-19 relief funding for local government. They discussed the key findings of CivicPulse's survey on past and future COVID-19 relief spending. They also shared how local governments can use these results in their own community.

Host: Lauren Palmer

Noah Marlier, Prothonotary for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, joined the podcast to talk about what a Prothonotary does. Noah shared what being the elected civil clerk of the Court of Common Pleas means, the kind of procedures his office processes, and how he runs his office. He also shared how the pandemic affected operations within the office.

Host: Lauren Palmer

Making the world better. A father-son duo join the podcast this week,  Tom Barwin is the City Manager of Sarasota, FL and his son Connor Barwin is an NFL defensive end and Pro Browler. They talked about their influences, giving back to the community and more. Connor also shared the work of his non-profit Make the World Better and how his father's career impacted him.

Linking theory to television. Dr. Erin Borry from the University of Alabama at Birmingham is teaching ethics in a creative way, by using the show Parks & Recreation. Scenes involving your favorite City of Pawnee employees are great case studies for understanding the dilemmas that public servants can face. Dr. Borry shares why she wanted to use the show in her classroom and examples of what students learn. 

Host: Kirsten Wyatt

Elena Christopher, a Recreation Programs Specialist at the Camacho Activity Center in the City of Austin, Texas, joined the podcast to discuss adaptive recreation. She shared the difference between accessible and adaptive programs. She talked about the unique outdoor programs they offer to participants with disabilities and the additional risk management factors to consider in adaptive outdoor programs. The also talked about the importance of partnering with local community groups and how to source adaptive equipment.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Practical data to reduce homelessness. Two guests joined the podcast to talk about how they are using data to prevent homelessness. John Littlemore, Head of Housing & Community Service at the Maidstone Borough Council, and Helen Sunderland, a Partner of Local Public Services at EY Consulting, discussed their data-driven preventative approach to homelessness, indicators of risk, and success stories in reducing homelessness.

Host: Lauren Palmer

Data equity and local solutions. Dr. Eric Trevan, public administration faculty at Evergreen State College, joined the podcast to talk about economic development and analytics. He talked about his career path, which included time in local government and leading an economic development agencies, as well as the perspective of Native American communities. 

Host: Javon Davis

How cities will be adjusting to automated vehicles and e-commerce. Dr. Ben Clark & Dr. Nico Larco from the University of Oregon join the podcast to discuss the impact of driverless cars and online shopping. Local governments will be adjusting through their tax and revenue policies, land use and more. These changes are already here, many brick and mortar retail stores are closing and Uber and Lyft are impacting how the public uses streets and parking.

Pizza, beer, & public input. Kevin Lyons, CEO & Co-Founder of FlashVote, joins the podcast to discuss community engagement. He highlights common mistakes made with various types of communication channels as well as mistakes organizations make in town halls, social media, online forums, and surveys. Kevin also shares with resources to improve community engagement.

Host: Alyssa Dinberg

Recruiting & retaining talent in local government. Heidi Voorhees, the President of GovHR USA, joined GovLove to talk about the work of finding and attracting talented local government employees. Heidi discussed her experience as a Management Fellow in Kansas City, MO with current fellows Javon & Alyssa. She also talked about the importance of LinkedIn and the drawback of residency requirements.

Topics: Lightning round (0:35), Heidi's experience as a Kansas City Management Fellow (3:30), what drew her to human resources (5:45), tech in human resources (7:00), recruiting & retaining the next generation (8:55), GovHR USA's work (10:55), the challenge of finding and attracting talent (14:50), and her LinkedIn tips (22:25).

This interview was recorded at the 2017 ICMA Conference in San Antonio, TX. 

Lee Cockerell is a retired Executive Vice President of Operations for Walt Disney World Resort and has consulted local governments and companies all over the world. He joined the podcast to discuss leadership, customer service, and creating Disney magic. He shared his definition of customer service, the importance of clear expectations, and how to build a culture of customer service. He also talked about managing large teams and achieving work-life balance.

Host: Rafael Baptista

Kara Silbernagel, Deputy County Manager for Pitkin County, Colorado joined the podcast to discuss climate action planning. She talked about how the County's work is impacted by Federal land, emergency management, and affordability. She shared the importance of engagement in climate action planning and discussed the elements of the County's plan, especially in building resilience.

This episode was recorded at the 2024 ICMA Conference in Pittsburgh, PA.

Host: Ben Kittelson

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

Helping communities better withstand natural hazards and severe weather events. Jennifer Carpenter, Assistant Director of Policy for the Disaster Recovery & Special Issues Division at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, joined the podcast to discuss resilient building codes. She outlined the work of the Disaster Recovery & Special Issues Division and the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program. She also shared the benefits and how cities can get started to modernize building codes.

Host: Lauren Palmer

Examining the inclusiveness of cities. Xavier Persad, Sr. Legislative Counsel for the Human Rights Campaign, joined the podcast to talk about the Municipal Equality Index. Each year cities are rated based on non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer and the city leadership's public position on equality. He also shared what cities have made strides on the index and what policies cities should look at to improve how inclusive they are.

Planning for a stronger, more equitable Minneapolis. Joy Marsh Stephens, the Director of the Division of Race & Equity for the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota, joined the podcast to talk about the work her team is doing to advance racial equity and the current moment of activism around structural racism. She discussed the City's Strategic and Racial Equity Action Plan and the policies the City is pursuing to address racial equity. She also talked about the importance of cultural change and capacity building. 

Host: Ben Kittelson

Celebrating municipal innovation from California to Israel. Brent Stockwell and Amanda Daflos took over GovLove from the CityLab gathering in Washington, DC to talk innovation with four different guests. Beth Blauer is the Executive Director of GovEx at Johns Hopkins University (4:10). Tracy Colunga is the Chief Innovation Officer in Long Beach, CA (29:10). Itai Eiges is the Director of a new initiative called Hazira that will support innovation teams in Israel (51:50). Jason Reisdorfer is Director of Innovation & Technology for Sioux Falls, SD (77:30).

This episode was recorded from the Chief Innovators Studio at 2019 CityLab in Washington, DC.

Hosts: Brent Stockwell & Amanda Daflos

Preparing for growth through thoughtful planning. Julie Karins, City Manager for the City of Goodyear, Arizona, joined the podcast to discuss managing rapid growth. She talked about the strategies for overseeing population expansion in a city that is close to 200 square miles. She also highlighted the background and importance of water rights as well as adapting to growth internally within the organization.

Host: Lauren Palmer

Phila Dot Gov. Sara Hall, Director of Digital Services with the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, joined the podcast to talk about digital innovation. She discussed the work of the Digital Services team she leads, improving the City's website, and best practices for managing change. She also shared what skills are needed to work in digital services in local government.

Host: Kirsten Wyatt

Outcomes and processes. Three guests joined the podcast to discuss equity and racial justice in the City of Chicago, IL. Nneka Onwuzurike is the Community Wealth Building Lead with the City of Chicago. Anton Seals, Jr. is the Lead Steward for Grow Greater Englewood. Candace Moore is the Chief Equity Officer for the City of Chicago They shared their definitions of equity and racial justice, the work of the Office of Equity and Racial Justice, and community wealth building.

Host: Toney Thompson

Diane Kalen-Sukra, author of Save Your City, joined the podcast to discuss toxic culture and how it can erode a sense of belonging, community and well-being. She also argues that the capacity to collaborate and innovate is undermined by the rising incivility and divisiveness local governments are seeing. She shared her own experience of tackling toxic culture, the importance of cultivating civility, and information on the Global Civility Summit 2024.

Host: Rafael Baptista

The City Hall beat. Iris Dimmick, Senior Reporter at The Rivard Report, talks covering local government in the City of San Antonio, Texas. She talked about the non-profit journalism that The Rivard Report conducts, her path to becoming a reporter and the future of local journalism. Then Iris discussed three propositions that were voted on by residents in November, each had a different impact on the City of San Antonio, including one that targeted the City Manager. 

Celebrating public service. Catie Miller, Strategic Communications Manager for the General Services Administration, joins the podcast to discuss the Federal agency's #GovLove campaign to highlight success stories in government. She shared the types of successes they are highlighting and how other organizations can participate. She also talked about the work of the Office of Shared Solutions & Performance Improvement within GSA.

Host: Kirsten Wyatt

Identifying and correcting bias in County operations and service delivery. Two guests from Ottawa County, Michigan joined the podcast to discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion. Robyn Afrik, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and John Shay, Acting County Administrator, discussed the history of how the DEI Office was formed, the goals, and what equity looks like internally with with employees and externally with the public. They also highlighted two DEI programs and the importance of communicating about the intention of equity efforts.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Can public officials block you on social media? Robert Hagemann, a Partner at Poyner Spurill LLP, joined the podcast to discuss Lindke v. Freed and its impact on free speech and the use social media in local government. He shared the First Amendment landscape prior to the Supreme Court ruling, what the outcome of the most recent ruling means for local governments, and unanswered questions regarding the First Amendment and social media.

Host: Dan Bolin

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

Two guests joined the podcast to talk about a research paper in the State and Local Government Review that examined local government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Dana Patton, an Associate Professor at the University of Alabama, and Joshua Pine, Program Manager of City Innovation and Data at the National League of Cities, discussed how the power of local governments varies by state, data collection and categorization for their research, and the types of policy actions made by local governments during the pandemic.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Housing for all. Jake Seid, a Senior Planner with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, joined the podcast to talk about zoning reform.  He shares why zoning reform is needed and why there is an increased interest in the topic. Jake discussed the limitations of traditional single-family zoning and exclusionary zoning.  Lastly, he shared four solutions local governments can implement for more equitable zoning.

Host: Dan Bolin

Incorporating data into local government. Justin Elszasz, Chief Data Officer with the City of Baltimore, Maryland, joined the podcast to talk about integrating data into local government. He shared the role of the digital services team, how the team work with other departments, what projects they are working on, and how to prepare the next generation of data scientists.

Host: Kirsten Wyatt

Arrested mobility. Charles T. Brown, the Founder & CEO of Equitable Cities and Professor of Planning & Public Policy at Rutgers University, joined the podcast to talk about the connection between mobility and equity. He discussed the concept of arrested mobility and how the movement of marginalized communities is overly policed. Charles also shared how planners and planning departments should understand how their work intersects with other issues and policies.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Trends in planning. GovLove was recently at the National Planning Conference for a session all about right-of-way. Local governments hold the public right-of-way in trust for the benefit of the public; but rapid changes in technology, federal policy, and constitutional law are increasing demands for services and challenging local regulatory authority. Experienced local government attorneys, and industry professionals discuss best practices for right-of-way management in the face of emerging challenges. Panelists include: Alan Weinstein, Cleveland State University; Alicia Giudice, San Rafael, CA; Brandon Bordenkircher, Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development; Daniel J. Bolin, Ancel Glink; Gail A. Karish, Best Best & Krieger LLP; and Isidro A. Jimenez, San Francisco, CA.

This episode was recorded from the 2019 National Planning Conference in San Francisco, CA. 

Fresh urbanism takes with a side of dad. Barry Greene Jr., Transportation Justice Fellow for the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) and author of Density Dad joined the podcast to talk about family-focused urbanism. He shared why he started writing about urbanism, how the built environment affects families, and shared advice for new parents.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Transportation & engagement. The Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, Leslie Richards, and the PennDOT Planning Chief, Brian Hare, join the podcast to talk engagement and the future of transportation. They shared their PennDOT Connects initiative which works to engage Pennsylvania residents before they implement transportation projects. Secretary Richards and Brian also talked about their career paths and how the State works with local governments.

Why not Dodge? Melissa McCoy, Assistant City Manager/Public Affairs, joins GovLove to talk about the tourism industry and the old west. The City of Dodge City, Kansas turned around the old phrase "get the heck out of Dodge" into an effort to bring people to the queen of the cowtowns. In 1997 residents of Dodge City voted to approve a dedicated portion of the sales tax to fund projects to encourage tourism. 

ELGL Knope Award Winner. Brent Stockwell, the Assistant City Manager of Scottsdale, Arizona, discussed their award-winning park the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. He talked about the work that went into winning the ELGL Knope Award, stories from park staff and how they tried to improve their communications strategy during each round of the competition.

This podcast was recorded from the 2019 Transforming Local Government Conference in Reno, Nevada. 

Ending economic insecurity. Michael Tubbs, Special Adviser for Economic Mobility and Opportunity to California Governor Gavin Newsom, joined the podcast to talk about guaranteed income. He shared his path to becoming one of the youngest mayors in America and the programs he implemented to try and end poverty in Stockton, California. He also discussed how he helped create Mayors for a Guaranteed Income and their partnership with the Center for Guaranteed Income at the University of Pennsylvania.

Host: Toney Thompson

Tony Gardner, Senior Vice President for the Commonwealth Center for High-Performance Organizations joined the podcast to discuss his ICMA Distinguished Service Award. He shared his work aboard in Poland, innovations in local government, and provided advice to the next generation.

This episode was recorded at the 2024 ICMA Conference in Pittsburgh, PA.

Host: Lauren Palmer

Improving data-driven efforts. Three guests joined the podcast to discuss their research and insight into the advancement of data in local government. They shared their new definition of data-driven local government and the methodology of their research. Ruth Puttick is a Senior Policy Advisor for the Open Innovation Team. Lauren Su is the Director of Certification for What Works Cities. Lisa Mae Fiedler is the Acting Manager of Data and Analytics at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Host: Toney Thompson

Connecting leaders to improve policy and service delivery. Tyler Kleykamp, the Director of the State Chief Data Officers Network at the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation at Georgetown University, joined the podcast to talk about how data can be used to inform policy decisions. He shared how he supports Chief Data Officers across the country and the skills needed to become a Chief Data Officer. Tyler also shared his career path, which included being the first Chief Data Officer for the State of Connecticut. 

Host: Kirsten Wyatt

Jed Byrne, Editor at Oak City CRE, joined the podcast to discuss development finance. He shared the important role of developers, the lifecycle of a project, and shared examples of how projects are financed.

Host: Rafael Baptista

Data for good. Three people joined the podcast to talk about the 2020 Census and ways that local governments can ensure their communities get counted. They are all working with the Census Opportunity Project a process for engaging government, communities, and the technology industry to create digital tools related to the Census. Denice Ross is a Fellow in Residence for the Beeck Center for Social Impact & Innovation; Lorena Molina-Irizarry is the Director of Operations of Census Open Innovation Labs; and Drew Zachary is the Co-Director of Census Opportunity Project.

Host: Kirsten Wyatt

Supporting first responders. Kristin Boyes, Dispatcher for the City of Lenexa, Kansas, joined on the podcast to discuss the Mid-America Regional Council's 911 Peer Support Program. She shared why it is important for dispatchers to get that support and how 911 calls affect call takers. She also talked about the training that peer supporters receive and how they work with people seeking help.

Host: Lauren Palmer

Public service and civil rights. A father-son duo joined the podcast to talk about their different paths working with local government. Former Mayor Joe Riley led the City of Charleston, SC for 40 years and was involved in redeveloping downtown Charleston and starting the International African American Museum. Bratten Riley is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Citibot, a software platform that allows residents to text their local government for information and for organizations to keep residents informed.

Host: Kent Wyatt

Recognizing communities for civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation. Rebecca Trout, the Program Director of the All-America City Award & Membership, joined the podcast to talk about the National Civic League's work. She shared the history of the All-America City Award and stories from some of the communities they have recognized.

Host: Javon Davis

Using arts and culture to shape communities. Lyz Crane, the Deputy Director of Artplace America, joined the podcast to talk about the work strengthening the field of creative placemaking, which is about integrating arts into community planning and development. She gave examples of how communities can integrate artists in local government including using artists to improve engagement. Lyz also announced a new Creative Community partnership with ELGL around highlighting these local government stories. 

This is part of ELGL's Creative Community, a partnership with ArtPlace America and CivicArts to write, explore, share, and learn about creative placemaking.

Host: Kirsten Wyatt 

From municipal bankruptcy to universal basic income. Kurt Wilson, the City Manager of Stockton, California, has managed the city through a lot of change. Kurt came on GovLove for a wide ranging conversation that covered his path into public service, principled policing in Stockton, working for Governor Schwarzenegger's administration and more. He described what it's like to manage a City through the bankruptcy process and how Stockton will be the first city to pilot a universal basic income program. 

The case against required parking. Catie Gould, Climate and Transportation Researcher for the Sightline Institute, joined the podcast to talk about trends in parking reform. Catie shared the problem with minimum parking mandates and how abolishing them impacted the cities of Seattle and Buffalo. She also discussed how parking regulations impact housing supply and how State legislatures have been getting involved with challenging parking mandates.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Creating a better functioning society. Two guests joined the podcast to discuss their partnership to improve fiscal strategy for local governments. Mark Funkhouser, President of Funkhouser & Associates, and Lawrence Greenspun, Director of Public Sector Engagement at the Drucker Institute, discussed a combined learning approach to fiscal strategy. They also discussed making public finance more relatable and a new approach to citizen engagement.

Host: Lauren Palmer

Condensing the process. Kyle Dombrowski, a Lieutenant with the City of South Bend, Indiana Police Department joined the podcast to talk about police officer recruitment and Prospect Days. He shared the department's old hiring process and how they streamlined the process from a six to nine month process to completing most of the process in one day. He discussed Prospect Days where potential candidates can complete the physical agility, written test, oral board, and personal interview in one day. He also talked about the importance of sharing the story of proactive policing and ongoing recruitment.

Host: Ben Kittelson