GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
GovLove is a podcast about the people, policies and profession of local government. From Mayors and City Managers to interns and everyone in between, we interview the people making a difference in their communities to learn about the great work being done at the local level. GovLove is brought to you by Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL).
Episodes
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 artificial intelligence into their plan ...
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 Reynolds
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 administration is important to the ...
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 City of Geneva, NY. They discussed hig...
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 governing body and balancing the n...
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 Transportation Plan, Environmental Su...
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 reflected on local government trends fro...
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 measure success.
Host: Lauren Palme...
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 meaningful citizen engagement and h...
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 experience as an elected official informs h...
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 Reynolds
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 membership structure. They talked about a...
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 to onboarding new staff.
Host: Ben K...
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 organization, how to leverage new hires fro...
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 the team, and onboarding check-in mee...
Josh Edwards, County Manager for York County, South Carolina, rejoined the podcast to discuss starting as a new County Manager. He shared why he chose York County and the challenges of a fast growing community. He discussed the process to develop the County's first strategic plan and the employee-driven core values for the organization. He also reflected on local government trends from the last 10 years.
Host: Ben Kittelson
Two guests joined the podcast to talk about the their transition from the Fire Department to the City Manager's Office. Bryan Dehner is the Assistant City Manager at the City of Overland Park, Kansas and Donna Lake is the Assistant City Manager at City of Lee's Summit, Missouri. They shared how they facilitated the transition, how the departments operate differently, and the importance of working regionally.
Host: Lauren Palmer
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