CitiesSpeak With Clarence Anthony

Send us Fan Mail Recorded live at NLC's Congressional City Conference, Clarence Anthony sits down with Henry Cisneros, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, NLC President and Mayor of San Antonio, Texas. Leaders like Secretary Cisneros have shaped NLC, and he provides insights into the history and future of NLC. For more information, visit us at nlc.org .

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, recorded live at NLC's Congressional City Conference, U.S. Representative Don Bacon (R-NE) and U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA), both members of the Problem-Solvers Caucus, discuss the benefits of listening and working with members from across the political aisle to address our nation's most pressing challenges. The conversation was moderated by...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Clarence sits down for a conversation with Bill Braniff, Director of the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, about growing hate and extremism in America’s cities. They discuss how local leaders can partner with the federal government to put an end to this trend – using innovative strategies to both respond t...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Clarence sits down with Mayor Abdullah Hammoud from Dearborn, Michigan to talk about the city’s approach to revamping and reimagining its network of roads and streets using the nearly $25 million it recently received in federal infrastructure funds. They discuss the infrastructure challenges that Dearborn has been facing for decades, and how NLC’s Local Infrastruc...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Clarence sits down with David Sander, Mayor of Rancho Cordova, California and our new National League of Cities President. They discuss his experience building the City of Rancho Cordova from the ground up over  the last two decades, why it’s so important for local leaders to take big risks, and why he views cities as “laboratories of democracy.” For more informat...

Send us Fan Mail In this live episode recorded at NLC’s City Summit 2023 in Atlanta, Clarence sits down with a panel of four experts who are focused on examining public safety in our cities and creating innovative community violence interventions that make our systems more just, fair, and effective. This month’s guests include: Erica Atwood, Deputy Managing Director, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ann...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Clarence sits down with Arkansas Municipal League Executive Director Mark Hayes and his wife Alison Hayes for an important conversation about the opioid crisis. In 2020, Mark and Alison lost their 23-year-old son Wells to an overdose and since then, have devoted themselves to fighting the opioid epidemic and helping anyone impacted by addiction and overdoses. They...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Clarence sits down for a conversation with an old friend – Dr. Arthur Evans, CEO of the American Psychological Association – the leading scientific and professional psychology organization in the United States. They discuss what goes into building strong mental health strategies for city governments, as well as Dr. Evans’ personal journey to public service. For mo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Clarence sits down with Mayor Angela Birney from Redmond, Washington and Mayor Mark Shepherd from Clearfield City, Utah to talk about the affordable housing crisis in America’s communities, and the innovative approaches they’re taking to address the challenge in their cities. Both leaders are involved in NLC’s Housing Supply Accelerator – an initiative focused on...

Send us Fan Mail Today, CitiesSpeak is bringing you a bonus episode from our friends at the Good Government Show podcast – a conversation from earlier this year with Former New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio. Make sure to check out the Good Government Show – including a recent episode featuring our very own Clarence Anthony! – at goodgovernmentshow.com . For more information, visit us at nlc.org .

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Clarence has conversations with Mayor Nancy Rotering from Highland Park, Illinois and Councilmember Henry Lo from Monterey Park, California – local elected officials who have both led their communities through the aftermath of gun violence in their cities. They discuss what it was like for each of them to first respond to the tragedies in their communities, how ea...

Send us Fan Mail CitiesSpeak with Clarence Anthony is one year old! In this month’s episode, we took a look back at some of our best conversations from the past year, many of which feature the stories of why our local leaders chose the path of public service.  

Send us Fan Mail In this special Pride Month episode, Clarence sits down with Annise Parker, former mayor of Houston and President and CEO of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and Victory Institute, which works to build, train and support LGBTQ+ leaders at all levels of government to advance equality in public office. They discuss Mayor Parker’s personal journey in public service as the first openly LGBTQ+...

Send us Fan Mail Coming off of Mental Health Awareness Month, Clarence sits down for a conversation with Tom Coderre, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They discuss how Tom’s personal recovery journey has influenced his work at the agency, the impact of opioids on communities across America, and how local...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Clarence sits down with Stephen Goldsmith, professor of urban policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, former Deputy Mayor of New York City, and former Mayor of Indianapolis, IN. They discuss how big data can help city leaders be better decision-makers and the innovative ways cities are using new technologies to solve some of our biggest challenges. For more informat...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Clarence sits down for a moving conversation with Mayor Sheng Thao, Mayor of Oakland, California. They talk about how her upbringing and young adulthood living in public housing informed her approach to policymaking today, how Oakland is using ARPA dollars to address homelessness, and her vision for cities where everyone has a safe and affordable place to live. Fo...

Send us Fan Mail In this special episode recorded live at NLC’s Congressional City Conference, Clarence sits down with Steve Benjamin, former Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina to reflect on the lessons he’s learned about public service, partnerships that are important for local leaders to forge, and his new public engagement role in the Biden administration. For more information, visit us at nlc.o...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Clarence sits down with John Giles, Mayor of Mesa, Arizona for a conversation on bipartisan leadership. They discuss how Mayor Giles has navigated division and incivility in his community as one of America’s “most controversial conservative mayors” and what leadership means in an era of growing polarization. For more information, visit us at nlc.org .

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Clarence sits down with Corey Woods, Mayor of Tempe, Arizona for a conversation about housing. They talk about Mayor Woods’ journey to being elected the city’s first African-American mayor, why housing availability is so critical to building inclusive communities, and the importance of federal, state and local collaboration to advance affordable housing. For more...

Send us Fan Mail Today, CitiesSpeak is bringing you a bonus episode of the Voices in Local Government podcast from our friends at the International City/County Management Association. It’s a conversation the ICMA team had with Clarence about the innovative ways local governments are implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and accessing federal funds to develop infrastructure projects in the...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Clarence sits down with Victoria Woodards, Mayor of Tacoma, Washington and our new National League of Cities President. They discuss her unexpected journey to public service and why she thinks combining the power of talented residents with strong partnerships can help create endless possibilities for everyone in communities across the country. For more information...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Clarence sits down with Emily Larson, Mayor of Duluth, Minnesota to talk about how the city of Duluth is addressing big issues from revitalizing its downtown core coming out of the pandemic to addressing the impacts of climate change and building a more sustainable community. For more information, visit us at nlc.org .

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Clarence sits down with G.T. Bynum, Mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma to talk about the work the city of Tulsa is doing to prioritize equal opportunity for everyone, and how it’s drawn thousands of workers to the city through its innovative remote work incentive program. For more information, visit us at nlc.org .

Send us Fan Mail In this two-for-one episode, Clarence sits down with Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston, Texas and David Holt, Mayor of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the National Nonpartisan Conversation on Voter Rights. They discuss how cities across America are working toward greater voter engagement, education and access, and the importance of bipartisanship when it comes to protecting democracy....

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Clarence sits down with Vince Williams, Mayor of Union City, Georgia and President of the National League of Cities. They discuss the big opportunities that local leaders in small towns can create for their residents, how Union City boosted its economy by transforming a dilapidated mall into a booming business, and the role that his faith plays in his leadership....