GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

Improving internships. Eliza Edwards, a Policy Analyst for the State of North Carolina Office of Strategic Partnerships, and Joy Ruff, the Executive Director of the Local Government Academy, joined the podcast to talk about strategies for recruiting people into government. They discussed the talent needs of government during the pandemic along with innovative talent interventions that have taken p...

Creative messaging for local governments. Crystal Son, the Healthcare Analytics Director at Civis Analytics, joined the podcast to talk about COVID-19 vaccination messaging for those who are hesitant to receive the vaccination. She outlined the scientific approach to studying vaccine messaging as well as effective and ineffective vaccine messages. She also shared tips for employers on how they can...

Connecting people and jobs. John Zeanah, the Director of Planning and Development for the City of Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee, joined the podcast to talk about providing opportunities for economic mobility. He discussed the City's new comprehensive plan and how they are working to make it easier for residents to get to their workplaces through both land use and the transportation system....

Attracting talent. Two guests joined the podcast to talk about two different partnerships to measure local government workforce needs and the methods for recruiting talented staff. Greg Wilson, Unit Manager at the University of Georgia, and Charles Goldman, Senior Economist at the RAND Corporation, discuss the "Jobs with Purpose" Initiative in Georgia and a new report studying barriers to a divers...

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 Saylo...

A year to try new things. Graham Stone, the Vice President of Government Relations at Public Input, joined the podcast to talk about citizen engagement. He shared how to simultaneously handle virtual and in-person engagement. Graham discussed the impact of COVID-19 on citizen engagement along with ways to implement successful virtual tools. He also talked about what to do with increased engagement...

Challenges and lessons learned. Craig Talsma, the Executive Director of the Hoffman Estates Park District in Illinois, joined the podcast to talk about how his organization implemented a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. He shared how he engaged staff and legal resources to design a policy as well as the other pandemic precautions that the District has implemented. He also discussed his career path and th...

Public memory and public art. Three guests joined the podcast to talk about the process the City of Newark, New Jersey went through to replace a Christopher Columbus statue with a monument to Harriet Tubman. The City conducted a national open call for artists to replace the statue and artist Nina Cooke John was selected to begin working on the monument. Fayemi Shakur is the Arts and Cultural Direc...

All your ARPA questions answered. Emily Brock, Director of Federal Liasion Center at Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), and Mehreen Haroon, Federal Policy Associate at GFOA, joined the podcast to discuss the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. They detailed the four eligible expense categories.  Emily and Mehreen talked about the most...

Innovations that work. Linda Gibbs, Principal with Bloomberg Associates, and Tamiru Mammo, Consultant with Bloomberg Associates, joined the podcast to talk about their new book, How Ten Global Cities Take on Homelessness . They shared what led to writing the book, how the issue of homelessness and housing differed between the ten cities, and the common struggles that individuals experiencing homel...

Addressing park equity. Danielle Denk, Community Schoolyard Initiative Director for the Trust for Public Land, joined the podcast to discuss the initiative to turn schoolyards into community parks that are more welcoming, sustainable, and accessible. She talked about the problem with current schoolyards that are often not open to the community after school hours and made up of asphalt. She also sh...

Connecting with Gen Z and underrepresented populations. Sophie McGinley, Assistant Planner for the City of Eugene, OR, and Cody Kleinsmith, Climate Resiliency Analyst with Lane County, OR, joined the podcast to discuss how local governments can engage their entire community. Sophie and Cody shared how they engaged on the topic of middle housing. They talked about how local governments can engage u...

Resident-centric government. Tom Spengler, Chief Executive Officer of Rock Solid Technologies, joined the podcast to discuss how local governments use technology to improve access and transparency. He talked about his time leading Granicus and the early days of getting organizations to stream and archive their meetings. He also shared his thoughts on future trends and technology to encourage resid...

Designing streets for neighborhoods. Charles Marohn, the President and Co-Founder of Strong Towns, joined the podcast to talk about his new book on transportation, Confessions of a Recovering Engineer . He discussed streets, roads, and stroads, as well as the importance of designing streets for the speeds and outcomes communities want to see. He also shared his thoughts on speed design, traffic si...

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 org...

Championing equity and inclusion. Aleea Slappy Wilson, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer and LGBTQ Liaison for the City of Norfolk, Virginia, joined the podcast to discuss the City's equity initiative. She shared how the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts started in Norfolk and the focus areas for the work. She also talked about her background in economic development and the work the...

Improving animal safety and health. Three guests joined the podcast to discuss a recent article in the State and Local Government Review journal on animal control ordinances and how local governments approach animal services. Laura Reese is a Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at Michigan State University and wrote the article, which focused on animal control in Detroit, Michigan. Casey Smit...

Strategies to put housing within reach. Shane Phillips, Housing Initiative Project Manager at the UCLA Lewis Center, joined the podcast to discuss his book, The Affordable City . He shared strategies around supply, stability, and subsidy that local governments should pursue to create more affordable housing. He discussed why cities should be pursuing affordable strategies even if affordable housin...

Maximizing the curb. Chrissy Mancini Nichols, National Director of Curb Management and New Mobility at Walker Consultants, joined the podcast to discuss curb management policy. She shared the difference between the analog curb and the digital curb. Chrissy talked about how local government can best determine pricing, equity, and access for curb space. She also shared how the pandemic has changed c...

Supporting first responders. Matthew Kelly, Captain with Miami County, Kansas Sheriff's Office, and Dan Davis, Lieutenant with the City of Belton, Missouri Police Department joined the podcast to discuss the Mid-America Regional Council's Peer Support Program for command staff. They talked about the stressors that command staff deal with and the importance of having someone to talk to. They also t...

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:...

Finding your greatest self. Holly Krejci, Talent Management Partner for the City of Seattle, Washington came on the podcast to discuss her love and support of Kathy Nyland, Assistant City Manager for the City of Tigard, Oregon. She shared her insights on job transitions, work-life balance, and the return to the workplace after the pandemic. Host: Kirsten Wyatt

Making onboarding successful. Benjamin Mead-Harvey, Adjunct Instructor for the University of Illinois School of Information Sciences, came back to the podcast to discuss onboarding. He shared tips on how to improve in three areas: welcome elements, training with the team, and onboarding check-in meetings. He also talked about the outcomes of onboarding that employers should be looking for and the...

Making messaging more effective. Brad Dunn, Chief Product Officer at Whispir, joined the podcast to talk about distraction-free messaging. He shared how local governments can better craft messages to members of the public. He also discussed the difference between prediction and engagement in messaging. Host: Kirsten Wyatt

Taking a bite out of big apple bureaucracy. Jeffrey Roth, Deputy Commissioner of the Veterans Services Department for New York City, New York, joined the podcast to talk about his career in local government and his new book Fires, Floods, and Taxicabs . He shared his lessons learned and how he earned trust and buy-in from large organizations. He also discussed his experience going through a mayora...