Allison Laskey, Associate Editor for Nature Cities joined the podcast to discuss her academic journal, Nature Cities. The journal aims to deepen and integrate basic and applied understanding of the nature of cities, including their roles, impacts and influences — past, present and future. She shared what is like to be an editor of an academic journal, emerging topics, and the importance of collaboration between academics and practitioners. This episode was recorded at the 2024 ICMA...

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

Three guests joined the podcast for a very special session of GovLove and Open Space Radio. Ali Rhodes is the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Boulder, Colorado, Bernita Reese is the Recreation and Parks Director for the City of Columbus, Ohio, and Michele White is a Senior Program Manager for the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA). They joined to talk about environmental resilience and sustainability strategies in the parks and recreation sector. Ali and Bernita...

Two guests joined the podcast to share their generational perspective on local government. Sam Badger is the City Manager's Office Marvin Andrews Fellow at City of Scottsdale, Arizona and Decker Ploehn is the City Administrator for the City of Bettendorf, Iowa. They each shared their career path, talked about the importance of relationships, and asked each other questions to gain knowledge from the others perspective. Host: Lauren Palmer

Two guests joined the podcast to talk about starting their careers in public service. Olivia Perfetti is the Municipal Engagement Manager for Allegheny County Conservation District and Lily Neilsen is an Environmental Justice Intern for a non-profit, New Sun Rising. They both attended, or are attending, Carnegie Mellon University for their Master's in Public Policy program and were part of a fellowship program to connect students to local government. They discussed what brought them to public...

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...

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

Jessica Kinser, City Administrator for the City of Faribault, Minnesota, joined the podcast to discuss empowering women and employment contract negotiations. She shared her unique experience negotiating contracts as a city's first manager, an internal candidate, and a manager in transition. She also highlighted common mistakes to avoid, the importance of using data in a negotiation, and the value of a good professional network. This episode was recorded at the 2024 ICMA Conference in...

Erin Dalton, Director of the Department of Human Services at Allegheny County, Pennslyvania and Mariana Escallón Barrios, an Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon University - Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy joined the podcast to discuss data driven health organizations. They shared how the County integrates data to predict outcomes better, the partnership between the County and the University, and what projects they are looking forward to in the future. This episode...

Nancy Hill, Community Development Director at the Village of South Elgin, Illinois and Geoffrey Dickinson, Senior Vice President at SB Friedman Development Advisors joined the podcast to discuss ethics and economic development. They discussed different ethical scenarios in economic development as they related to the ICMA and APA code of ethics. This episode was recorded at the 2024 Illinois Tax Increment Association Conference. Host: Dan Bolin

GovLove Co-hosts Meredith, Lauren, and Ben were joined by Brent Stockwell, Assistant City Manager at the City of Scottsdale, AZ and Amie Hendrix, City Manager at the City of Geneva, NY to recap the recent ICMA Conference. They discussed AI, community engagement, a case study in managing homelessness, the role of the manager in community leadership, and the ELGL Analyst Academy. They shared insights on lessons learned, their favorite sessions, and key takeaways.  This episode was recorded...

Teri Black, Founder and CEO of Teri Black & Company joined the podcast to discuss local government recruitment. She outlines the process of local government recruiting, building candidate pools, and trends in recruiting. Host: Meredith Reynolds

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...

Wes Marshall, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado - Denver joined the podcast to discuss his book, Killed by a Traffic Engineer. He talked about the history of the traffic engineering field and it's relationship to data and science. He shared the problem with current traffic safety metrics and the importance of prioritizing safety over reducing congestion. He also shared how he would improve traffic safety and how the traffic engineering field needs to change. ...

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

Kristen Dorman, Assistant City Manager for the City of Warrensburg, Missouri, joined the podcast to discuss her new position and family ties to local government. She shared her transition from remote to in-person work and from working for the Alliance for Innovation to returning to City Hall. She also discussed her ties to local government with both her mom and husband and what projects she is excited to tackle in her new position as an Assistant City Manager. Host: Lauren Palmer

Quinn Cole, Management Analyst - Economic Development for the City of Topeka, Kansas joined the podcast to share the importance of being real and authentic. He shared her work on the Topeka Land Bank, dealing with negativity at City Hall, being named the Number Two Top Influencer in Local Government for 2024, and why she wears pink everyday. Host: Lauren Palmer

Amy Eckberg, Sustainability Programs Manager for Orange County, North Carolina joined the podcast to discuss climate action and sustainability. She talked about the background and elements of the County's Climate Action Plan and highlighted the Community Climate Action Grant Program which funds local sustainability projects. She also discussed piloting an agrivoltaics program and her career path from working in parks to climate action. Host: Ben Kittelson

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

Vince DiPiazza, City Manager for the City of Uvalde, Texas joined the podcast to share his experience from the tragic shooting that occurred at Robb Elementary on May 24, 2022. He shared what happened that day of the tragedy, lessons learned, and highlighted the importance of mental health. Host: Lauren Palmer

Halee Ratcliff, Finance Director for the Town of Wilkesboro, North Carolina joined the to podcast to discuss community investments. She shared how the town used American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to invest in a community park and support economic development. She talked about how the Town's outdoor action plan informed the investments and shared the exceptional healthcare benefits the Town provides. Host: Ben Kittelson

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

Brian Elms is the Founder of Change Agents Training, author of Peak Performance, and the former Director of Peak Academy and Analytics for the City and County of Denver. Brian joined the podcast to discuss innovation in local government. He shared how to start the process of innovation, the importance of subtraction in processes, and strategies to lead your team in change management. Host: Rafael Baptista

Housing and homelessness. The GovLove Co-hosts joined together in a grand experiment they are calling GovLove Island to discuss two of the latest topics in the local government world. First, they discussed the recent Grants Pass v. Johnson ruling from the Supreme Court. They chatted about what the court ruled, how it impacts local governments, and the complicated problem of homelessness for communities. Then, the panel chatted about a utopian proposal for a new city in California's Solano...