GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

Curating Professional Development with Jessica Deakyne and John StefanskiTwo guests joined the podcast to discuss curating professional development. Jessica Deakyne is the Assistant City Manager at the City of Novato, CA and John Stefanski is the Assistant City Manager at the City of San Rafael, CA. They discussed the importance of professional organizations, the UpNext professional development pr...

Two guests rejoined the podcast to discuss rethinking municipal budgets. Chirs Morrill, Executive Director, and Shayne Kavanagh, Senior Manager of Research, at the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) discussed why it is time to rethink the budgeting process and GFOA's Rethinking Budgeting initiative . They also talked about why it is more important to be a chef rather than a cook and ho...

A panel of planning lawyers joined the podcast to share their experiences in planning law while working at law firms. They shared their career paths along with what they do in their current positions. The panel included: Sean Suder, Lead Principal & Founder, ZoneCo; Deborah Rosenthal, Senior Attorney, FitzGerald Kreditor Bolduc Risbrough LLP; Taylor Palmer, Partner, Cuddy & Feder LLP; and David Si...

Can public officials block you on social media? Robert Hagemann, a Partner at Poyner Spurill LLP, joined the podcast to discuss Lindke v. Freed  and its impact on free speech and the use social media in local government. He shared the First Amendment landscape prior to the Supreme Court ruling, what the outcome of the most recent ruling means for local governments, and unanswered questions regardi...

Two guests joined the podcast to discuss using applied science in public policymaking. Both guests work at The Lab at DC. Sam Quinney is the Director and Ryan Flynn is a Civic Design Researcher. They shared how The Lab at DC was formed, improving housing vouchers, and how other local governments can use applied science in policymaking. This episode was hosted by guest host  Danno Lemu as part of a...

The Real Deal Caitlin Clark. The most famous planner in the nation joined the podcast to talk about her work and starring in a television commercial . Caitlin Clark, Planning Specialist for the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, shared her career path to working in local government and how she ended up in a commercial with the basketball star of the same name. She also shared her advice for people trans...

In anticipation of the 2024 Top Influencers in Local Government , two guests joined the podcast to discuss their work in local government after being awarded an ELGL Top Influencer in Local Government in 2022 . Sarah Mondesire is the Community Well-Being Manager for the City of Commerce City, Colorado and Jessie Brown is a Social Media and Communications Specialist at the Iowa Department of Natura...

Robert Sturns, Economic Development Director for the City of Fort Worth, Texas, joined the podcast to discuss his role and how the City works to guide growth and development. He talked about the importance of strategically growing during rapid population rise and Fort Worth's downtown development. He discussed the value of small business and entrepreneurs, as well as how the City supports that sec...

Heather Worthington, Principal for Urban3, rejoined the podcast to discuss the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which was passed when she was the City's Director of Long Range Planning. She talked about the ambitious objectives Minneapolis 2040 was trying to solve regarding climate change and racial inequity. She discussed how the implementation of the plan has been in litigation for several y...

Achieving true resilience. Danielle Arigoni, Managing Director for Policy and Solutions at the National Housing Trust, joined to podcast to discuss her book  Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation . She talked about the demographic trends that lead to an aging population and how vulnerabilities from aging intersect with risks from climate change. She shared interventions that work to meet the need...

Experiencing parks and recreation from behind the desk and out from under it. Anthony Iracki, CORE Professional Development Manager at PlayCore, joined the podcast to discuss being an enthusiast in your own profession. He shared his career path, how he came to love parks and recreation, and his transition into his new role at PlayCore. Host:  Meredith Reynolds

Chelsea Jackson, Deputy City Manager for the City of Douglasville, GA joined to podcast to discuss her role and leadership approach. She talked about the importance of building a pipeline for new talent, her career transition to Deputy City Manager, and provided advice for those looking to make the leap to management positions. She also shared her career path which started as a local government ma...

Jeff Richardson, County Executive for Albemarle County, VA, joined the podcast to discuss his management principles. He shared how to manage a high performance organization, the benefit of being a "needs improvement" organization, and tips for aspiring managers. Host:  Rafael Baptista

Building a better Hoboken. Caleb Stratton, Assistant Business Administrator and Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Hoboken, NJ joined the podcast to talk about storm resilience and infrastructure. He shared what improvements the City has made after Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, how parks can be used to improve stormwater infrastructure, and how the City has coordinated with other governmental...

A panel of government planning lawyers joined to podcast to share their experiences in local, state, and federal planning law. They shared their career paths along with what they do in their current positions. The panel included: Tina Axelrad, Zoning Administrator for the City and County of Denver, CO; Samuel Capasso, Community Infrastructure Resilience Branch Chief for FEMA; Nestor Davidson, Prof...

Government workers leading change. Allison Bell, Founder and CEO of Bellwether Consulting, joined the podcast to discuss her book, Herocrats: A Guide for Government Workers Leading Change . She shared the definition of a Herocrat, the three main sections of the book, and how you can nominate the monthly Herocrat. Host:  Meredith Reynolds

Empathy and change. Veronica O. Davis joined the podcast to talk about her book, Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities . She discussed a different way to center equity in transportation, the importance of centering people in the planning process, and how the history of a community impacts their current transportation needs. She also shared her career path in local...

Early investments. Jose Landeros, Director of Strategic Development for El Paso County, Texas joined the podcast to discuss innovation in economic mobility. He discussed participating in ICMA's Economic Mobility and Opportunity Cohort, the needs assessment conducted related to after-hours child care, and why local government has a vested interest in this issue. Host:  Lauren Palmer

Sabine Rogers, Federal Policy Project Manager for the U.S. Green Building Council, joined the podcast to discuss Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding, building energy codes, and performance standards. She provided an update on energy reductions in commercial buildings, how local governments can benefit from Inflation Reduction Act funding related to updated building and energy codes, and how to s...

In this special episode, Lauren Palmer, Director of Local Government Services for the Mid-America Regional Council joined the podcast to discuss working for a regional government. She shared her GovLove in Love story, what services a Regional Council provides, and the projects she is currently working on. Host:  Dan Bolin 

Lara Biggs, Capital Planning Bureau Chief and City Engineer for the City of Evanston, Illinois, joined the podcast to discuss capital planning, infrastructure, and improving bicycle and pedestrian safety. She shared the City's engagement strategy to design projects with the community and stakeholders. She also talked about what data points are used when prioritizing projects, how to handle reducti...

Two guests joined the podcast to discuss financial empowerment. Tamara Lindsay is Chief of Strategy for the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund and Janae Bradford is the Director of the Office of Financial Empowerment and Community Wealth at the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma. They shared what financial empowerment centers are, what programs the centers offers, and how a local government can start thei...

Drawing ideas out of people and implementing those ideas. Josh Edwards, Assistant Manager for Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, joined the podcast to talk about leadership, the role of an Assistant Manager, and strategic planning. He discussed how the organization created its first organization-wide strategic plan, how to get departments to buy into strategic planning, and the importance of building...

Digging around in your municipal couch cushions. Kimberly Olivares, Deputy Chief Financial Officer for the City of Austin, Texas, and Ben McAdams, Senior Fellow at the Government Finance Offers Association (GFOA), joined the podcast to discuss GFOA's Putting Assets to Work program which explores how local governments can utilize their assets differently or monetize their assets to create revenue....

Dr. Dylan Hayden, author of The Public Administrator's Guide to ChatGPT , joined the podcast to discuss all things artificial intelligence (AI) and local government. He shared why you should consider using AI, uses for AI in local government, and the importance of prompts. He also talked about the importance of the ethical use of AI and things to keep in mind when developing an AI policy. Host:  R...