GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

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...

Action for the future. Three guests joined the podcast to discuss inclusionary retail. Julia Duranti-Martinez is the Senior Program Officer for Community Impact and Research at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. Andres Sevtsuk is an Associate Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mikeya Griffin is the Executive Director of the Rondo Community Land Trust. They shared the c...

Listening to the Community. Craig Owens, City Manager for the City of Lawrence, Kansas, joined the podcast to talk about budgeting for equity and inclusion. He shared the city's budget process, measuring key performance indicators, and equity and inclusion progress indicators. This episode was recorded at the  2023 Social Equity Leadership Conference in Kansas City, MO. Host:  Lauren Palmer

Identifying, analyzing, and solving pain points in day-to-day work. Kayla Barber-Perrotta, Budget and Performance Manager for the City of Brighton, Colorado, joined the podcast to talk about performance and process improvement. Kayla shared an in-depth look into the City's five-week Performance and Leadership Academy highlighting building a culture of continuous improvement and executing change. S...

Action for the future. Three guests joined the podcast to discuss their involvement with Local Government 2030 , a convening of local government practitioners working on the grand challenges facing public administration. Megan Caron is a Strategic Initiatives Analyst for the City of Nashua, New Hampshire. Elizabeth McDonald is a Senior Civil Engineer for the City of Savannah, Georgia. Ryan Webb is...

Points for the planet. Two guests joined the podcast to talk about how the City of Lakewood, Colorado has used sustainable development standards to implement their Sustainability Plan. Caitlin Long, Senior Sustainability Planner, and Jonathan Wachtel, Sustainability Manager, discussed the City's enhanced development menu, greenhouse gas mitigation program, and waste diversion program. They also sh...

Reimagining Discarded America. Michelle Wilde Anderson, author and Larry Kramer Professor of Law at Stanford School of Law, joined the podcast to talk about her book, The Fight to Save the Town . She highlighted and discussed the chapters related to Stockton, CA; Josephine County, OR; Lawrence, MA; and Detroit, MI. Host: Lauren Palmer  

A New 911. Gabriela Solis, a Project Leader for the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab, joined the podcast to talk about alternative 911 responses. She shared the work of the Government Performance Lab, the current initiative surrounding alternative 911 responses, and some case studies involved with the initiative. Gabriela discussed how data is used in the program and how local gov...

Balancing new ideas with institutional knowledge. Jackie Wehmeyer, Senior Director of Strategy and Intergovernmental Affairs for the City of Parkland, Florida, joined the podcast to talk about local government strategy and employees. She shared how employee needs by department differ, her work in strategy and intergovernmental affairs, and the importance of succession planning. Host:  Ben Kittelso...

The s'more-iest season on record. Greg LeBlanc, Assistant Town Manager for the Town of Snowmass, Colorado, joined the podcast to talk about small town management and tourism. He discussed preparing for the role of Assistant Town Manager and the challenges unique to resort communities. He also shared how the work of the Town changes around the tourism cycle and how the Town pursues communication an...

Putting people first. Four guests joined the podcast to talk about human centered design in Chicago Public Schools. They discussed the CPS community toolkit , building strong design teams, and gaining leadership buy-in. They also shared how other local governments can implement human centered design. Adrian Segura is the Chief Officer for Family and Community Engagement at Chicago Public Schools....

Stories of Public Servants. Brian Whittaker, Founder of Humans of Public Service and the Chief Innovation Officer for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, joined the podcast to talk about Humans of Public Service , which shares the stories of public servants that reflect the diversity in America in an effort to humanize public servants and create a more positive perception of government. He...

Texas Two Step. Onyinye Akujo, Chief Operating Officer for the Houston-Galveston Area Council, joined the podcast to talk about her work with the Houston-Galveston Council and being in a local government relationship with her partner, William Johnson , Assistant City Manager for the City of Fort Worth. Host:  Lauren Palmer

Embrace the uncertainty. Santi Garces, Chief Information Officer for the City of Boston, Massachusetts, joined the podcast to talk about improving technology in local government. He shared insights on balancing technology projects, shrinking the digital divide, and data use as a platform and product. Host:  Ben Kittelson