GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

The First Lady of Water returns. Cathy Bailey, Assistant City Manager for the City of Cincinnati, Ohio, joined the podcast to talk about her transition from Executive Director of Greater Cincinnati Water works to the City Manager's Office. She discussed highlights from her time leading the utility, how her background informs how she approaches the job as an Assistant City Manager, and the importan...

Jake the Dog, Mayor, and Shani Leichter, Campaign Manager and Chief of Staff for Mayor Jake joined the podcast to talk about their work in the community. They shared how they campaigned, duties of a canine mayor, and important issues to the community. Host:  Lauren Palmer

Three legal expert jointed the podcast to discuss the Land Use Cases of the Year. Reed Asselbaye is a Law Clerk at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Craig Notte is a Partner at Borah, Goldstein, Altschuler, Nahins & Goidel, P.C., and Scott Hazelton is the Owner of Sunflower Peak Planning. They discussed impactful land use cases related to the National Environmental Policy Act, rent control, eminent do...

It's moment you have been waiting for all year! From new forms of government, interesting case studies, and tales from local government leaders our episodes covered a wide array of all that goes into local government. To celebrate 2025 and look forward to 2026, the GovLove co-hosts teamed up to give out the most prestigious award in local government podcasting. Lauren, Dan, Meredith, and Ben each...

AI meets local government. Jorge Valens, Innovation Manager for Miami-Dade County, FL, joined the podcast to talk about the opportunities artificial intelligence represents for local government organizations and his recent article on the topic. He talked about how these tools can improve the efficiency of subject matter experts and allow organizations to test ideas quickly. He shared examples of h...

Jessica Carrero, Operations Project Manager for the Town of East Hartford, Connecticut joined the podcast to discuss project management and ensuring operations continue when organizations go through changes. She shared her experience during mayoral transitions, how standard operating procedures helped her succeed during those transitions, and how to navigate tension between new ideas and current p...

Amber Cabrera. Senior Assistant to the City Manager for City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Maylee De Jesús, City Clerk for the City of Boynton Beach, Florida joined to podcast to discuss increasing representation in local government. They shared recent efforts they have worked on for Latinos in Florida Local Government, advice for the next generation, and how to get involved with the Local Gover...

JC Hudgison, Chief Building Official for the City of Tampa, Florida rejoined the podcast to discuss development, technology, and process improvement. He talked about how the City responded to and has been recovering from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton in 2024. He shared how the City has worked to improve customer service through process improvement and how they are carefully integrate artif...

Aarón Zavala, Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Pleasanton, California joined the podcast to discuss his role with the City. He talked about the work he does for the City and his career goals moving forward. He also shared how he remains authentic to himself as he serves the public. Host:  Lauren Palmer

Jim Schutz, a Principal at JMSB Strategies joined the podcast to discuss his transition from a City Manager to poetry author. He shared how he decided to transition into consulting and how he got into local government poetry. Plus he talked about his favorite poem and other highlights from The Mayor Has a Hammer , a book of poetry on the everyday heroism of local government. Host:  Meredith Reynol...

Julia Novak, the CEO and Executive Director of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), rejoined the podcast to discuss her new role at ICMA. She shared how the organization is adapting after reduced federal grants for international work. She discussed how she has engaged with members and how the Board is revamping the strategic plan. She talked about why the history of public...

GovLove Co-hosts Meredith and Ben were joined by several friends of the pod to recap the 2025 ICMA Conference. Tom Modica is the City Manager at the City of Long Beach, CA, April Walker is the Assistant City Manager at the City of Long Beach, CA, Jackie Wehmeyer is the Senior Director of Strategy and Intergovernmental Affairs at City of Parkland, FL, and Amie Hendrix is the City Manager at the Cit...

Mitchell Silver, City Council Member for the City of Raleigh, North Carolina rejoined the podcast to talk about the transition from working as a staff member in local government to becoming an elected official. He reflected on his work as Parks Commissioner for the City of New York and the decision to run for elected office. He discussed the challenges of going from a staff expert to a member of a...

Four plans in one. Jason Zawila, Planning Manager at the Village of Downers Grove, Illinois and John Houseal, Partner at Houseal Lavigne joined the podcast to discuss the APA Award-Winning Village of Downers Grove Comprehensive Plan update. They discussed the concept of total community development and how the effort updated four plans at the same time, the Village's Comprehensive Plan, Active Tran...

Kelly McAdoo, the City Administrator for the City of Santa Barbara, California, joined the podcast to talk about her leadership and change management approach. She discussed transitioning transitioning to a new city and getting to know a new organization. She talked about navigating challenges like a budget shortfall, homelessness, and new State laws related to land use and housing. She also refle...

Lesley Milton, Deputy City Manager for the City of St. Helena, California, joined the podcast to talk about her passion for public service. She discussed her prior positions as a City Clerk and her experience working in small cities. She also discussed recent projects and initiatives and the City St. Helena's Community Academy. Host:  Meredith Reynolds

Two guests joined the podcast to talk about play based engagement and how it can be a meaningful way to create change. Leah Fisher is a Built and Natural Environment Analyst for Clackamas County, Oregon. John Kamp is Urban and Landscape Designer for Prairieform and the co-author of the book Dream Play Build . They discussed when to use this form of engagement, how to make it successful, and how to...

Valerie Lemmie, Senior Advisor for State and Local Government for the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, joined the podcast to talk about her career in city management and the state of democracy. She shared how she navigated difficult situations during her city management career, including as City Manager of Cincinnati, Ohio when there were protests against the Police Department. She also discussed...

Deb Mohlenhoff, City Manager for the City of Ithaca, New York, joined the podcast to talk about her role transitioning from an elected official to a City Manager and changing the City's form of government. She shared why the city decided to transition forms of government, her role in the transition, and challenges faced during the transition. She also discussed her career path and how her experien...

Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Executive Director for the Mid-Hudson Library System joined the podcast to discuss the Sustainable Libraries Initiative . She shared how the initiative was created, how libraries can earn the certification, and the importance of adapting sustainability language. Host:  Lauren Palmer

Peggy Flynn, City Manager for the City of Petaluma, California, joined the podcast to talk about fostering a culture of innovation, transparency, and engagement. She also discussed delivering effective and efficient public services. She shared how the City of Petaluma has evolved, projects her team is working on, and similarities between cattle ranching and city management, Host:  Meredith Reynold...

Two guests rejoined the podcast to discuss finance and innovation. Chris Morrill, Executive Director, and Shayne Kavanagh, Senior Manager of Research, at the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) discussed their work. They talked about GFOA's research initiatives and how they are helping organizations deal with recent changes in federal funding. They shared why GFOA is changing its member...

Angela Wilson, the Deputy Public Information Officer for the Town of Frederick, Colorado, joined the podcast to talk about communications in a fast-growing community. She shared strategies the Town uses to stay engaged with residents and how to provide honest and transparent communications to residents. She also discussed the importance of setting expectations with new employees and her  approach...

Ariana Adame, Assistant City Manager for the City of West Sacramento, California, joined the podcast talk about her career path and capital projects. She discussed the pros and cons of career paths working for one or many jurisdictions. She talked about her time leading the City's capital program and how they incorporate equity into the work. She also shared the pro and cons of leaving an organiza...

This week we're sharing one of our favorite interviews from the GovLove archive. This episode originally aired in August 2021 and is all about successful employee onboarding. Benjamin Mead-Harvey, Instructional Designer for the Arizona Department of Economic Security, came back to the podcast to discuss onboarding. He shared tips on how to improve in three areas: welcome elements, training with th...