GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

Local solutions to homelessness and practicing radical empathy. Andrew Hening the Director of Homeless Planning & Outreach for the City of San Rafael, California joins GovLove to discuss his work reducing the homeless population in Silicon Valley. He also discussed his career path into local government, from law school to Americorps Vista. Andrew Hening took the #1 spot in this year's ELGL Traeger List of local government influencers. This episode was hosted by Javon Davis and Alyssa Dinberg, two Cookingham-Noll Management Fellows in Kansas City, MO.

He started as a management assistant and now he's the Director of Economic and Property Development for the City of Long Beach, California, get to know John Keisler. John was also the innovation team director in Long Beach. In this episode Kent talks with John about his career path, role models and his definition of innovation.

An international perspective on reporting and government. We're joined by a columnist and foreign correspondent during his recent trip to Kettering, Ohio. Ian Birrell a contributing editor of The Mail on Sunday and writer for several papers in London, England talked about his work as an international reporter and adviser for speech writing and crisis management. This episode was guest hosted by Stacy Schweikhart.

Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida on September 10 but the preparation to weather the major storm started well before then. Dan Biles, the County Manager of Pasco County, FL joins the podcast to discuss all the work that went into preparing for Hurricane Irma and what they have left to do now. He also shared the key role social media played in the County's communications strategy before, during and after the storm.

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.

Career day with the County Manager of Ellis County, Kansas. To celebrate the start of the new school year we have an interview between second grader Eleanor Wyatt and Phil Smith-Hanes, the County Manager of Ellis County, KS. They discuss his career path, what he likes about his job and the differences between a county and a city.

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.

Local government law and social media. In a new series we're exploring the legal side of local government and this week it's all about social media. Dan Bolin and Julie Tappendorf from the Ancel Glink law firm in Chicago, IL join the podcast to discuss. They talk about the cases and trends they are seeing in the legal world around social media.

Community development and managing growth in Saint John, Canada. Jacqueline Hamilton the Commissioner of Growth and Community Development joins GovLove to talk about the City of Saint John's one-stop development shop and planning for the future. She also discusses what it's like dealing with cruise ships coming to your city.

Helping kids and creating social innovation. Dr. Lisa Morris Hibbler joins GovLove to discuss her work at the City of Las Vegas, NV. She talked about how the City works closely with the school system to improve educational achievement, attendance and graduation rates. She also explained what exactly social innovation is and ranked her favorite movies.

True love in local government. We talk with three people whose spouse also works in public administration. They discuss balancing two local government careers, discussing issues at the kitchen table and taking advantage of two networks. Justin Miller works in Lakeville, Minnesota; Dianne Miller works for Eagan, Minnesota; and Ashley Garcia works for Costa Mesa, California.

Encouraging women and girls to get involved with local government. Commissioner Denise Driehaus is the first woman to serve on the Hamilton County, OH Board of Commissioners in 25 years. She wants to make sure that doesn't happen again, so she's starting a Women and Girls Council. Commissioner Driehaus talked about her goals for that Council and what the county is doing to battle Ohio's opioid epidemic.

Local government in the path of totality. Lili'a Uili Neville from Benton County, OR and Patrick Rollens from the City of Corvallis, OR join GovLove to talk about preparing for thousands of visitors for the coming solar eclipse. Patrick and Lili'a also share some of the disruptions to services they expect to happen during the eclipse and the strangest question they've gotten.

Two brothers, two City Managers. Tom and Mike Bonfield join the podcast to discuss what led them to public service, how they motivate employees and the toughest decisions they've made on the job. Tom Bonfield is the City Manager of Durham, NC and Mike Bonfield is the City Manager of Creedmoor, NC. Both brothers have been in local government for over 30 years including previous stints as City Managers in the state of Florida.

The youngest Mayor ever elected to serve the City of Richmond, VA joins GovLove. Mayor Levar Stoney talked about why he wanted to run for local office, what he's learned so far in his seven months on the job and how he's working to change the culture at City Hall. Mayor Stoney discussed his vision for improving education and how the City is working to deal with the history of Richmond's Monument Avenue.

GovLove International returns! Jonathan Veale from the City of Calgary, Alberta talked about how he works to inspire innovation and solve civic challenges. This includes a unique idea platform where residents submit ideas to improve their community and others vote to support them. This crowd sourcing platform, known as Civic Innovation YYC, has lead to over 600 ideas to improve efficiency and effectiveness of city government.

Moving for a job opportunity is often a reality for someone pursuing a local government career. Three professionals who recently moved for a job join GovLove to give their advice and perspective on making that move. Tanya Ange is the Deputy City Manager of Boulder, CO and moved from Mankato, MN. Kristin Donald is the Finance Director in Bozeman, MT and moved from Denver, CO. Clay Pearson is the City Manager of Pearland, TX and made the move from Novi, MI.

Talking trash. Ginger Spencer, the Public Works Director of the City of Phoenix, AZ joins the podcast to talk about their ambitious waste diversion plans and the innovative programs they have to encourage economic development with trash. Ginger also shared the department's efforts to increase women in minorities in public works.

The need for affordable housing is an issue that cities across the country are facing. Melissa Maddox-Evans joins the podcast to discuss the role of the local Housing Authority. She is the CEO of the Housing Authority in Charleston County, SC and the General Counsel of the City of Charleston, SC Housing Authority. Melissa discusses the services housing authorities provide and how local governments can work with them.

The Chief Performance Officer of the City of Cincinnati, OH, Leigh Tami, joins GovLove to discuss data and performance. She shares her background and path to local government, what she looks for when hiring and the importance of data. Leigh also shares her experience as a woman in local government and her theme song.

The legendary Malcolm Gladwell joins the podcast to discuss the education system in America, social justice and the second season of his podcast, Revisionist History. Gladwell has been a staff writer at the New Yorker since 1996 and is the author of several books including David & Goliath, The Tipping Point and Blink.

Talking community relations, battling the opioid epidemic and the Uber of food trucks, meet Pete Haga from the City of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Pete joins GovLove to discuss his work as the Community/Government Relations Officer in Grand Forks and shares his experience with the Knight Foundation, being a dad in local government and more.

Giovania Tiarachristie argues that if planning was a room, the elephant in it would be race. Giovania is the author of an amazing report exploring the barriers to recruiting and retaining planners of color. In this episode she discusses her report, the hazards of colorblindness, the value diversity can bring, micro-aggressions and so much more. Her report on diversity in planning has lessons and solutions for employers in any field or public sector organization.

The GovLove international team returns with the City Organizer of Jane's Walk Toronto, Alia Scanlon. She talks about the mission of Jane's Walk, an organization that puts on free, locally organized walking tours, in which people get together to explore, talk about and celebrate their neighborhoods. These walking tours celebrate the legacy of Jane Jacobs an urbanist, author and planner. GovLove International is hosted by John Allore, the assistant budget director of Durham, NC.

We talk running for City Council with Sara Eskrich, Alder for District 13 of Madison, WI, and Hannah Lebovits, candidate for University Heights, OH City Council. They discuss why they wanted to run for office, the challenges they have faced as women candidates and what they hope to accomplish. Sara shares her experience knocking on doors in a snow storm and Hannah talks about campaigning with her young children.

Chris Hamilton joins GovLove to talk all about car-free transportation, planning and paradise. Chris is the Car-Free Key West program manager and former Transportation Bureau Chief for Commuter Services in Arlington County, VA. He shares how small investments in marketing can impact transportation use, the value of bike share and more.

The Intern Files is back, this time Madison Thesing interviews Michael Lawson from the City of Aurora, Colorado. Michael leads the city's special projects office and he discussed how Aurora is taking a new approach to hiring, on-boarding and culture. The "Shift" program started in August 2015 and its goal is to help Aurora attract the next generation of local government leaders.

This week we get an international perspective on public service from Indonesia and Singapore. Shaffira Gayatri and Jerry Lewis Ong are two Legislative Process and Governance Professional Fellows visiting the United States, and specifically Guilford County, NC. The program they are a part of is a partnership between ICMA and the U.S. State Department and allows fellows to spend four weeks in a local government learning about governance practices, accountability and transparency. Shaffira and Jerry tell GovLove about their work back home on gender equality and refugees, as well as what they have learned on their fellowship.

Ferki Ferati & Ben Speggan join GovLove to talk about their work with the Jefferson Educational Society in Erie, Pennsylvania. The Jefferson Society has been active in creating civic dialogue, exposing residents and leaders to issues and work going on in the city as well as promoting pride in their home town of Erie.

The latest Intern Files is back to discuss the ICMA local government fellow experience and getting started in a local government career. Madison Thesing is joined by David Nash-Hernandez, Eli Ritchie, Hunter Harris, Micah Phillips, Maia Knox & Craig Dudek. The six guests shared what they learned in their fellowship.

Figuring out the best way to get residents involved and participating in local government has been a hot topic in cities across the country. Matthew Crozier from Bang the Table has been doing engagement work around the world and came on GovLove to discuss best practices, how cities can do better and more.

Lauren Lockwood, the Chief Digital Officer for Boston, MA joined GovLove to talk about technology, communications and bringing new thinking to local government. She discussed redesigning the city's website and holding government to the same standard as the private sector when it comes to digital engagement.

Kathy Nyland the Director of the Seattle, WA department of neighborhoods joined GovLove to talk about rethinking neighborhood engagement. With the goal of getting more people involved her department is working to find new ways to engage residents of the city. Kathy also shares her path to local government, which started as an overly involved resident and led to her current appointment.

Stephen Goldsmith, Director of the Innovations Program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the former Mayor of Indianapolis, IN joins GovLove to talk about data, innovation and more. He compared his role as Mayor with being Deputy Mayor at New York City, discusses social media in government and the work of Data-Smart Cities Solutions.

Justin Marlowe from the University of Washington Evans School & Alicia Shatteman from Northern Illinois University join GovLove to discuss what they see as the trending topics in local government. From technology to communication and the use of the M-word Justin & Alicia share what they are seeing from their MPA students.

Chris Morrill, the City Manager of Roanoke, VA for one more day, joins GovLove to talk about his next career step. He discussed his career, which included a stint in the Peace Corps and consulting in South Africa, and how hard it was to make the choice to become the next Executive Director of GFOA. He discusses managing Roanoke through the Great Recession and how the city worked to revitalize its downtown. And learn about Chris' plans for GFOA and why he thinks it's a vital association.

The CEO of the American Water Works Association, David LaFrance joins the podcast to talk about his work with the professional association, the challenges to Water service, Flint and more. David also discusses his career path, which includes a stint as the Finance Director at Denver Water.

Welcome to the first episode of GovLove International! In this new monthly series we'll interview a local government professional from outside the US. This month John sat down with Gord Hume a speaker and advisor on local government in Canada. Gord is a former city councilor of London, Canada and has written several books on local government. In this interview he discusses his latest book, "The Leadership Crisis" an analysis of leaders in city halls. GovLove International is hosted by John Allore, the assistant budget director of Durham, NC and produced by Tony Reed, the assistant city manager of Mt. Angel, OR.

Jane Brautigam the City Manager of Boulder, CO joined GovLove to talk about her career path and making the leap from law to management. She also shared her perspective on diversity in local government, affordable housing in Boulder and dealing with prairie dogs. Jane has been the City Manager of Boulder since 2008 and prior to that was the manager of Dublin, OH, Loveland, CO and was an attorney for several local governments in Colorado.

The Manager of North Carolina's largest county joins GovLove to discuss her career path, building trust in government, communications and more. Dena Diorio has lead Mecklenburg County since 2014 and came to the south after starting her career in New York City and two cities in Connecticut.

Chris Reykdal is a graduate of the North Carolina MPA program, former teacher and the new superintendent of public instruction for the State of Washington. Kirsten talks with Chris about his career path, how his public administration background helps him in his new position and why local government practitioners should think about running for office.

The latest installment of the Intern Files features the president! Lee Feldman, the City Manager of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, is the current president of ICMA. Madison asked him about his career path, his plans for his presidency and advice for someone new the profession.

The City of Peoria, IL and the City of Vancouver, WA squared off last week in the championship round of the ELGL City Hall Challenge. This March Madness style bracket asked cities from across the country to compete for the best City Hall in the nation. Kent chatted with the two finalists right before the contest closed about what they learned, how they got the word out and more. The guests were Stacy Peterson from Peoria and Sophie Banner from Vancouver.

The career ladder is becoming more of a career jungle gym, there's no one path to leadership in local government. To talk about a couple of non-traditional career paths Kirsten chatted with Amber Mathiesen, City Manager of Mt. Angel, OR, and AJ Fawver, Planning Director of Amarillo, TX. They shared how their backgrounds in records and planning prepared them for leadership positions.

Dan Biles, the Deputy County Manager of Jefferson County, Alabama, joined GovLove to talk about his career path, perspective on leadership and rebuilding infrastructure after a municipal bankruptcy. We discussed his jump from the private sector to government and how he models the behavior he wants to see in his employees - like leaving at 1:00 pm. Dan also shared how his military experience shaped his career and how the deputy or assistant manager role is unique.

Cari Anne Cashon, entrepreneur and author, joined GovLove to talk about her passion for public service. She talked with Kent about her interest in local government, volunteering and You Go Girl her book that aims to inspire girls to pursue their dreams.

Coming to Charlottesville, VA in April is the Hometown Summit, a celebration of small and mid-sized cities across the country. The summit is a convention and celebration of leaders who have spearheaded some of the nation's most creative and successful campaigns for community change. To learn more about it and get the inside scoop GovLove chatted with one of the organizers, Carolyn Zelikow from the Aspen Institute, and a speaker, Adam Klein from American Underground in Durham, NC.

What's it like managing a community with a theme? Marvin Collins, the City Manager of historic colonial Williamsburg, VA, and Joel Walinski, the City Manager of the Bavarian themed Leavenworth, WA, join GovLove to talk about the unique challenges of managing a city with a theme. From code that requires use from the 1700s to reworking the McDonald's logo to make it Bavarian, they cover it all.

Dan Ralley the Assistant City Manager of Upper Arlington, OH and Carl Anderson from ViewPoint Solutions joined GovLove to talk about how to better serve residents in permitting. They discuss Upper Arlington's approach to e-permitting and how it put customer service first.

Our fearless intern is back! The ICMA/ELGL Oregon Management Fellow, Madison Thesing talked with Julie Rusk, the Chief of Civic Wellbeing in Santa Monica, CA about their wellbeing initiative, what brought her into local government and the importance of community wellbeing.