GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

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 Boli...

High impact, not low-hanging fruit. Dr. Pamela Braff, the Director of Climate Programs for the City of Olympia, Washington, joined the podcast to discuss prioritizing climate initiatives and building climate action into the way the City does business. She talked about the Energize Olympia program which subsidizes the cost of installing heat pumps for residents and climate action planning at the re...

Ben Effinger, Cash Management Operations Chief for the Treasurer and Tax Collector in Los Angeles County, CA joined the podcast to discuss transitioning from the military to the local government. He shared how military roles can transition to local government, what local governments can do to help military members, and the importance of men's mental health. Host:  Rafael Baptista

Outcomes and processes. Three guests joined the podcast to discuss community wellness hubs. Kristine Stratton is the President and CEO of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). Matt Mann, Recreation Program Manager, and Sean Kennan, Recreation Superintendent, both work for the City of Shawnee, Kansas. They shared what defines a community wellness hub and an in-depth example of the Sh...

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

Helping communities weigh tradeoffs on their roadways. Conor Semler, Principal Planner for Kittelson & Associates, joined the podcast to talk about a new tool that will help communities make streets safer. He shared his recent research into roadway cross-section reallocation and how cities can use the tool to balance community priorities with roadway usage. He also discussed the issue with outdate...

Planning with natural charm. Tim Maslow, Community and Economic Development Director for the City of Groveland, Florida, joined the podcast to talk about planning and urbanism. He shared how Groveland is working to manage population growth, retain natural amenities, and create walkable places. Tim talked about creating the City's new form-based code and establishing pre-approved plans in the Flori...

Strategy and service. Melissa Cantarero Weiss, Deputy City Administrator for the City of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, joined the podcast to talk about building a customer service culture. She shared how they engaged employees in developing customer service values and integrating customer service into training, employee evaluations, and awards. Melissa also discussed the City's strategic plan, community e...

Go get 'em, tiger. Gabe Reaume, the City Manager for the City of Saginaw, Texas joined the podcast to discuss his new book, Strangers and Angels . Gabe shared stories growing up in rural Michigan, his unique path to city management, and how a friendship with a woman old enough to be his grandmother impacted his life. Host:  Rafael Baptista

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 rum...

Choices for all. Spencer Gardner, the Planning Director for the City of Spokane, Washington joined the podcast to discuss their innovative Building Opportunity and Choices for All program. He discussed the use of an interim zoning ordinance, what things in the city code need to be addressed to achieve more equitable housing, and tax credit programs the City offers to support their housing goals. H...

The future is now. Two guests joined the podcast to talk about the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in local government. Parth Shah is the CEO and co-founder of Polimorphic and Scott Attaway is the City Manager for the City of Lowell, North Carolina. They shared the use case and benefits of AI, how AI can improve local government processes, and how employees feel about the implementatio...

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 candid...

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 e...

The civic infrastructure of the futrure. Two guests joined the podcast to talk about using technology to better engage residents and improve trust in local government. Dan Ault is the Assistant Town Manager and Chief Innovation Officer for the Town of Cary, North Carolina. Eyal Feder-Levy is the CEO and Co-Founder of Zencity, a community engagement platform. Dan discussed using community engagemen...

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 g...

Great design for a great river. Carol Coletta, President and CEO of the Memphis River Parks Partnership, joined the podcast to talk about managing the City of Memphis Riverfront and the grand opening of Tom Lee Park. Carol shared the background about the redevelopment of Tom Lee Park, mitigating flood risk at the park, and ensuring equal access and programming for all. Host:  Ben Kittelson

Getting the job done for the future. Laurel Paget-Seekins, author of People First a report from TransitCenter, joined the podcast to talk about how transit agencies need a more strategic human resources function to attract and retain talent. Laurel shared the workforce challenges transit agencies are experiencing, how staffing is impacting operations, and what strategies agencies can pursue to add...

Committed to inclusive economic growth. Two guests joined the podcast to talk about a new inclusive recovery toolkit , Deirdre Shaw is an Inclusive Economic Growth Associate and Betsey Suchanic is an Inclusive Economic Development Advisor both with the New Growth Innovation Network. They shared what is in the toolkit, the target audience, outcomes for the toolkit, and what other additional resourc...

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

Governing for equity. Dr. Benoy Jacob, the Director of the Community Development Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Division of Extension, joined the podcast to talk about bridging the theory and practice of equity in local government. He shared his research into equity in public administration and the understanding of equity as a field versus a value. He also discussed building pa...

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 wor...

Encouraging excellence among public administrators of Asian heritage. Aishwarya Kumar, President of the International Network of Asian Public Administrators (I-NAPA) and Management Analyst at the City of Elk Grove, CA, joined the podcast to talk about her role with I-NAPA and her work in Elk Grove, CA. Aishwarya shared her work in performance management, the importance of I-NAPA, and emerging tren...

Science to promote justice. Max Markham, Vice President, Policy & Community Engagement for the Center for Policing Equity, joined the podcast to talk about building equity in police departments. He shared the work of rebuilding the St. Louis Police Department, the role of administrators and equity officers have in implementing change, and offered tools and techniques for advancing social equity go...

Activate ATL. Justin Cutler, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation for the City of Atlanta, Georgia, joined the podcast to talk about parks and recreation. Justin shared how he is building the culture with his staff and why he chose to move to the City of Atlanta. He also discussed tackling the challenge of providing equal access to parks and green space to all residents, including how they use the...