Exclusive Content: Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

elgl-apolitical equity ambassadors program

Announcing the 2020 Equity Ambassadors Program!

Posted on March 9, 2020

Update: Deadline extended due to coronavirus impacts; applications accepted continuously, with updated program dates to follow. If you have questions, please email [email protected] Stay well! ELGL and Apolitical are excited to announce a certified “Equity Ambassadors” program! It’s meant for public servants thinking about equity in policy making in any department — health, community, environment,...

Complex Problems, Comprehensive Solutions

Posted on February 19, 2020

Photo by Olav Ahrens Røtne on Unsplash Having a good heart and good intentions are not good enough. If our goal is to better serve disenfranchised individuals and groups in our communities, to implement projects with tangible results, we require the same level of competence and preparation that we would for any other professional endeavor. Attempting to assist...

Building a Diverse & Inclusive Profession: Practice What You Preach

Posted on February 7, 2020

This post is by ELGL member Heather Geyer, City Manager, City of Northglenn, CO. She's also the Mountain Plains Senior Vice President on the ICMA Executive Board. Follow Heather on Twitter and LinkedIn. “You can’t be what you can’t see.” These words have always been with me throughout my local government career, but especially so since I...

Introducing: Social Justice -> Local Government

Posted on January 17, 2020

My name is Matt Hirschinger, and I had the opportunity to write a few blog posts for ELGL last year mostly covering insights I learned during my Peace Corps service. Moving forward my posts will be part of a series I’m calling “Social Justice -> Local Government” as I pursue a graduate degree in...

Asking Better Questions

Posted on December 18, 2019

This guest blog is by ELGL member Matt Hirschinger, the Assistant to the Town Manager in Hudson, Colorado. Read Matt's writing about criticizing other cultures professionally, understanding privilege, understanding identity, and impressing in meetings. In local government, we ask a lot of questions. Whether to reach out to our citizens to better understand their priorities, to...

Increasing Equity by Unifying In-Person & Virtual Efforts

Posted on December 3, 2019

This blog post is by ELGL member Jay Dawkins with PublicInput.com. Sign up to attend a free webinar about this topic on December 12, 2019 at 1:00 ET: RSVP for the webinar! The new paradigm of community engagement is bringing together all efforts into one place As technology has become more integrated into our everyday...

Questioning Gender Assumptions

Posted on November 30, 2019

Today's Buzz is by Alisha Janes (Find her on Twitter and LinkedIn) What I’m Watching: Watchmen What I’m Reading: Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World Thanksgiving in my family has typically been a gendered holiday. Most of my female relatives make their annual contribution to the food. My grandma cooks the turkey and...

Criticizing Other Cultures Professionally

Posted on November 1, 2019

This guest blog is by ELGL member Matt Hirschinger, the Assistant to the Town Manager in Hudson, Colorado. Read Matt's writing about understanding privilege, understanding identity, and impressing in meetings. It’s a common discussion to consider ways to open ourselves to other cultures and appreciate the differences that exist among us. The social, economic, and personal...

Is Your Website Accessible to Those With Disabilities? Should it be?

Posted on October 17, 2019

This guest blog is by ELGL member Matthew DiCianni. Want even more helpful information about creating accessible websites? Learn how to make your local government website and digital services accessible for all populations. On November 6, join Matthew and Luke Fretwell, CEO of ProudCity, to talk through this court decision, and then walk you through...