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Tis the Season to Segment

What I’m listening to – Frank Sinatra Christmas (the holidays call for the Chairman) What I’m watching – Re-watching Lord of the Rings trilogy (the alternative to Hallmark Channel schlock) What I’m doing – Last-minute holiday shopping – locally of course! The holiday season has me thinking a lot about how we provide excellent service … Continued

Gift Guide for Your Local Gov Coworkers (And Beyond!)

Welcome to the Holiday Season y’all! No matter what holiday you celebrate (though, if we’re being honest, I bet most of our organizations orbit around Christmas), ’tis the season for choosing & giving gifts. I don’t know about all of you, but even as a Very Enthusiastic Person™, gift-giving can fill me with anxiety. And … Continued

Podcast: Thinking Like a Designer with Patrick McDonnell

Patrick McDonnell Designer & Urbanist LinkedIn | Twitter Urbanist, Designer and Technologist. Patrick McDonnell joined the podcast to talk about his career path, which started in urban planning, to serving on Innovation Teams in Austin, Texas and Anchorage, Alaska. He talked about the role of a designer, skills that local government needs and the importance … Continued

City of Sharonville: Building a Better Workplace

This guest blog is brought to you by one of our finalists for the 2019 Meagle Award, The City of Sharonville, Ohio! The Meagle Award recognizes the best places to work in local government. Imagine you’re out at an exceptional dinner and consider what makes it so. You’re probably picturing more than just the food, … Continued

Best Ideas List for 2019

Today’s Morning Buzz is by Mike Skibbe (Twitter and LinkedIn) What I’m Reading: The Beast by Jade Gurss What I’m Watching: Letterkenny Problems What I’m Listening To: The Worklife Podcast As the year winds down, and holiday parties fill our schedules, it’s a traditional time of reflection on the past year. Best of lists fill … Continued

Asking Better Questions

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 … Continued

Rewind: Long Beach, CA Management Assistantship Webinar

On December 17, 2019, we learned about the unique Long Beach, CA Management Assistantship program from the current MAs. Watch the video below, and review the application and information materials! Application Checklist Program Flyer The City of Long Beach, California is looking for talented aspiring public leaders interested in applying their skills to serve a … Continued

Succession Planning – UGH

By Brandi Leos, City of Tigard; find me on Twitter and LinkedIn What I’m Reading: Running is my Therapy by Scott Douglas What I’m Watching: Workout videos on the Peloton Digital App (this thing is awesome and I didn’t have to buy a bike) What I’m Listening To: The NPR Politics Podcast – bite size … Continued

I Have to Ask: Storytelling as a Buzzword

In this series, guest columnists respond to one of three topics selected by ELGL Co-Founder Kent Wyatt. This week, Glissette Santana, Content Strategist for the City of Sugar Land, Texas, writes about her definition of storytelling.  When I landed in my role as the content strategist for the City of Sugar Land, I hadn’t realized … Continued

Safety CAN Be Cool

Today’s Buzz is by Clay Campbell, Administrative Supervisor for the Downers Grove Sanitary District. Connect with Clay on Twitter and LinkedIn What I’m Listening To: Holiday Classics Station on Amazon Music What I’m Watching: Home Alone on Disney+, I’m not even going to link it because…c’mon. What January looks like: Getting some nice travel in … Continued

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