Voices in Local Government

  Planning committee co-chairs, Emily Muzzarelli and Alex McIntyre preview this year's ICMA 2022 Annual Conference: Achieving Excellence Together , September 17-22 in Columbus, Ohio. What they've learned at a previous event that was put into practice at their local government. Speakers or sessions they're most excited for. Benefits and tips for attendees other than city/count managers, covering as...

Jeannetta Maxena, Assistant to the City Manager, City of Mary Esther, Florida, explains the frustrations experienced and resiliency needed during her job search. Then she shares five tips for job seekers: Explore the ICMA Local Government Management Fellowship (LGMF) or similar program on a state level. These don't always mean internship or low pay. Stay visible. Get published, go to events, and m...

Part one begins with Desiree and Chris providing insight for CAOs and department/team leaders to understand what aspects or benefits is most important to their job satisfaction. With many of the nine categories scoring a four or five, there's a follow up blog post with a ranked order. The hiring process is discussed, with common frustrations and ideas on new approaches that can help local governme...

Part two picks up with Desiree and Chris answering questions ICMA CAOs and department/team leaders want to know (but can't always directly ask) of early career professionals. Then concludes with questions the guests have for local government leaders.   Resources ICMA Local Government Management Fellowship . Applications open September, 2022. Fellows |  Host Organizations Sponsored by CivicOptimize...

Claudia Arriaga of OpenGov guest hosts this episode of Voices in Local Government to interview Boulder, CO. city manager, Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde on why and how to use data to manage change in local government. How data helped allocate budget and justify adjusting charges to create a focused approach to solve specific, repeated challenges and community complaints. What tools and systems can be imp...

If you missed part one, listen here  to learn how to recognize the value retirees and other older adults have and the positive impact they can have on our communities, including municipal boards and commissions and special projects that fill service gaps. Greg and Cora return for part two to dive into the details of what it takes to launch the Give 5 Civic Matchmaking Program , including:  An over...

Sarah Peck, director of United on Guns answers questions on what city and county managers must do to lead through tragedy. Key takeaways: Schedule a tabletop exercise annually, inviting the highest elected official, the police chief or sheriff, the local FBI, a Public Information Officer, and other key staff. Security solutions should be analyzed thoroughly and emotion must be removed from purchas...

Mara Mintzer, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Growing Up Boulder, and Sarah Huntley, Director of Communication and Engagement, City of Boulder Colorado discuss how ideas from kids can help local government design better cities and develop engaged citizens. Why the effort is worth it. How the work is done. Examples of sample projects that were approved and completed, including transportation p...

Massive wildfires and other challenges large and small over a few years created a difficult working environment in Butte County, CA. Their director of public works, Joshua Pack joins the show to explain how an employee survey based on a genuine desire to listen and improve went a long way to gather honest feedback and respond with employee-driven changes. 

Episode one in a two-part series uncovers the power of tapping into baby boomers for communities interested in improving community engagement and helping government and nonprofits address the growing workforce crunch. The Give 5 Civic Matchmaking program was started in Springfield, Missouri to address social isolation among retirees, while plugging the highly skilled boomers into the community for...

This episode begins with a short excerpt from Cyber Mayday and the Day After  on a real ransomware negotiation with cyber-criminals. Then Nancy Rainosek, chief information security officer of Texas, and Dan Lohrmann, field CISO of Presidio speak on how local government can better plan, respond, and recover from ransomware attacks, as well as how to best coordinate with state or regional-level reso...

Dan Dowell of ABM shares long-term investment ideas local governments can make for their economies and quality of life. Plus bonus content: Victor Cardenas, ICMA-CM, assistant city manager, Novi, Michigan and Midwest VP, shares on the pulse of the region. Dan Dowell discusses how recent local government funding can go beyond immediate fixes to focus on sustainable long-term investments, including:...

Troy Brown, ICMA-CM, city manager of Moorpark, CA, and ICMA President, discusses: Changes in dues structure that makes membership more accessible. Priorities, challenges and opportunities city managers and their staff are taking on in 2022. How Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is different than Social Justice and why it matters. Plus ICMA’s current position on addressing each and how leaders...

Odie Donald joins the show to discuss how local government can improve its accessibility and service delivery through three specific examples of citizen engagement. The advantages and challenges of open budgeting, and how ARPA funding fits in. How outdated 311 systems can transform into improved services through better technology. How a “Mayors Walk” can also be an opportunity for non-elected prof...

Janice Allen Jackson, city manager of Stonecrest, Georgia, discusses the expected and unexpected challenges when undertaking the immense task of starting a new city. We dive into the reasoning and context on why and when a location may want to break off an existing city or county jurisdiction to create their own city, how to overcome the many challenges–like logistics to gaining and keeping commun...

David Street, chief of staff of Loudoun County, Virginia, joins us for a follow up episode to talk about professional development and optimizing your time and energy to maximize ROI. Discussed in this episode: How to blend professional, educational, and personal development into an overall growth mindset. When is saying yes to almost everything good approach? What criteria is used to better priori...

Every January 1st, marks the beginning of National Mentoring Month, the month-long celebration of mentoring that focuses national attention on the need for mentors. Mary Furtado, deputy county manager of Catawba County, North Carolina, David Street, chief of staff of Loudoun County, Virginia, and Rob Carty, director of career services at ICMA, know first-hand the positive impact effective mentorin...

Parham Eftekhari, Executive Director at the Cybersecurity Collaborative, and Hemant Desai, Chief Information Officer at the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), discuss the universal threat of cyber-attacks and the unique challenges local governments face as high-profile targets, including: What are best practices? What do we prioritize? How can we train a reluctant staff? How...

Sarah Peck, director of UnitedOnGuns, and Emily Nink, policy associate at the Public Health Advocacy Institute, join us in an episode that bypasses partisan gun control arguments to focus on the near-impossible responsibility local government officials face after a mass-casualty event. Researched by the Public Health Advocacy Institute and informed by local government leaders who have held their c...

Tallahassee (FL) City Manager Reese Goad, Chief Transit Officer Angela Baldwin, Director of Growth Management Karen Jumonville, and Director of Fleet Management Jeff Shepard discuss how shifting from siloed departments to a one team identity helped the entire city's workforce and ultimately delivers better service for residents. Resources: City of Tallahassee Government Website About ICMA ICMA’s v...

Chuck Flacks dispels common myths of “homelessness”, explains the problems with encampments, shares ideas and proven methods for alternatives, and discusses the complex financial and political realities local governments must navigate to help every member of their communities. Resources : Learn more about Flacks Seed Consulting Contact Chuck Flacks Read Chuck's post 'Ending Homelessness Together'...

Melissa Agnes, Founder and CEO of the Crisis Ready Institute, explains how local government can transform from being dependent on static emergency management or disaster recovery plans to become crises ready. Visit  crisisreadyinstitute.com for more information and join a  two-part digital course on November 15 and 17, 2021. Resources : Crisis Ready Institute Digital Programs Developing your Crisi...

Brion Oaks, Chief Equity Officer of Austin Texas, explains how he helped Austin build and develop its equity program, and how other local governments, no matter the size or region, can do the same. This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Resource Exploration . Resources: Austin’s DEI Home page Austin’s Community Dashboard | Where city staff and residents connect Austin’s equity consultation...

Michael Cannon, Chief Technology Officer, Stafford County, Virginia, and David Ihrie, Chief Technology Officer, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (formerly Center for Innovative Technology), discuss technology testing and deployment that leads to real-world community benefits in public safety, quality of life, economically and more. This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Resource...