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Guidepost #17 – Brian Southey, Elk Grove Village, IL

Welcome to week #17 of the Cookingham Connection. Today, we hear from Brian Southey, Management Analyst, Village of Elk Grove Village.  Mr. Southey earned his MPA at the University of Illinois Springfield, and his BA at Illinois State University.  Previously, he was employed as a Technical Assistant, City of Bloomington, IL and Ground Water Section Intern, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Bureau of Water). … Continued

Weed: How Does It Affect Workplace Rules & Policies?

Today’s edition of the Nitty Gritty (a column focused on the details of our work as public employees) comes from Kathy Peck and Chandra Hatfield of Peck Rubanoff & Hatfield.  Kathy and Chandra are two of ELGL’s favorite attorneys – smart, savvy and dedicated to public service.  

Guidepost #17 – Kurt Bressner

Kurt Bressner, (LinkedIn and Twitter) was the City Manager of Boynton Beach, FL for 11 years. He also managed Bensenville, IL and Downers Grove, IL during his career. Guidepost 17: “Never put in writing anything you can’t prove. Someday someone might embarrass you with it.” I kept a copy of Mr. Cookingham’s “Food for Thought: Guideposts for City Managers” in my top … Continued

The Long Tail of Neighborhood Social Media

Perhaps you’re familiar with a concept called the Long Tail. It’s a statistical concept that has been applied to all sorts of real-world situations, from retail production to game design. It holds true in the world of social media platforms, too.

Smitten With the Mitten: Bridget Doyle Heads to Sterling Heights

STERLING HEIGHTS: Council appoints new Community Relations director Bridget Doyle, one of our fearless Midwest leaders, is on the move. This week Bridget was selected as the Sterling Heights, MI Community Relations director. Bridget was serving as the Lombard (IL) Communications Coordinator. Here’s what Bridget had to say about the new gig: “This is truly … Continued

Call for Input: Telling Our Broadband Story

Survey Link: Successful Muni Networks Survey Broadband industry analyst Craig Settles is compiling the success stories of public-owned and operated broadband networks. ELGL wants to be sure your network’s story is told to the community broadband stakeholders, the media and policymakers. Craig will include some of this information in his next book on broadband strategy. Please complete the … Continued

360 Review of Local Government with Katie Babits, Veneta, OR

Who doesn’t love a good ol’ fashioned performance reivew? ELGL loves them so much that we’re embarking on a “360 Review of Local Government.” We’re going to evaulate every single inch of the local government arena by talking to ourselves (a.k.a: other local government professionals), tech companies, journalists, professors, and anyone else who hasn’t blocked our … Continued

Allow Myself to Introduce Myself……Gabe Reaume, City of Sugar Land, TX

Welcome to the new and (somewhat) improved version of our member introductions. If you are puzzled by the column name, take a minute to watch the above scene from Austin Powers. Background Check Gabe Reaume (Connect: LinkedIn) is the Environmental Manager for the City of Sugar Land, TX. Previously, he served as the Deputy Treasury Manager and Budget & Management … Continued

Growing Pains: Can Light Rail and Affordable Housing Co-Exist?

The Outsider’s View is a monthly column written by Brittany Bennett on interesting and innovative community and economic development happenings in North Carolina with an emphasis on areas for potential collaboration between local governments and other partners. Can Light Rail and Affordable Housing Co-Exist? by Brittany Bennett – LinkedIn and Twitter Growth is good. It … Continued

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