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The Joy of Budgeting

Today's Morning Buzz is cooked up by Andrew Kleine, Managing Director, Government & Public Sector at EY-Parthenon, Ernst & Young LLP. He is the author of “City on the Line: How Baltimore Transformed Its Budget to Beat the Great Recession and Deliver Outcomes” (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018) and has served as a county administrator and...

Words Matter: Serving All Residents Through Inclusive Language

Today’s Morning Buzz is by Adrianna Tušek Erickson, Connection & Impact Program Coordinator for the City of Chandler. Adrianna creates programs that build community engagement and inclusion. A proud Arizona State Sun Devil, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s degree in Education. She has been recognized by ELGL as a...

City Hall Selfie Day: 2025 Honorees

City Hall Selfie Day: 2025 Honorees Together, we reached more than 5 million people during the ninth-annual City Hall Selfie Day on Aug. 12, 2025. We saw so much community pride on display in small towns, big cities, and everywhere in between. Thanks to everyone who celebrated City Hall Selfie Day with us! Every year,...

Your First 90 Days in Local Government Leadership

Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Ariana Adame, Assistant City Manager, Community Services for the City of West Sacramento, Calif. Connect with Ariana on LinkedIn. What I’m reading: "The First 90 Days" by Michael D. Watkins What I’m watching: "Black Bag" on Peacock What I’m listening to: "Love and Happiness" by Al Green ...

Why are we still working this way?

Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Angelica Wedell, Sr. Manager of Engagement and Digital Marketing at ICMA. Connect with Angelica on LinkedIn. What Book I’m Recommending: Managing Local Government: Cases in Effectiveness, 2nd Edition What I’m Excited for: Visiting Tampa for the 2025 ICMA Annual Conference! What I’m Proud of: Training my pups to...

I Could Do That: What Abstract Art and Running a City Have in Common

Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Sheila Shockey, Founder, CEO, Futurist, Shock Talk Podcast Host at Shockey Consulting and artist/gallery owner @80SantaFe in Downtown Overland Park, KS. Follow Sheila on LinkedIn, @heyshockey @artbysheilashockey. What I’m reading: Decoding Abstract Painting What I’m working on: Going into 60 strong! So I am walking or biking...

The Power of Pivoting

Today’s Morning Buzz is by Megan Young, Business Officer in the County Manager’s Office in Wake County, North Carolina. Connect with Megan on LinkedIn. What I’m reading: While technically this belongs in the What I’m Listening To category, I’m into audiobooks these days. I wish I could sit still long enough to read, but I’m surrounded...

Mental Health is a Retention Issue

Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Angelica Wedell, Senior Manager of Engagement and Digital Marketing at ICMA and co-host of the "Voices in Local Government" podcast. She writes and speaks to local government leaders on topics including workplace culture, community engagement, professional development, and more. Connect with Angelica on LinkedIn. What I’m reading...

2025 Top Influencers in Local Government

Every year ELGL asks our members to nominate outstanding public servants for the Top Influencers in Local Government list. The recognition honors people who make a difference in their communities and the larger local gov network, and who demonstrate ELGL values of joy, creativity, connection, dependability, and equity through their work and public activities. In...

Ryan Hanschen

No. 10 2025 Top Influencers in Local Government See the compete list of Top Influencers in Local Government. Community Engagement Manager | City of Boulder, CO | Ryan Hanschen is at the heart of the City of Boulder’s efforts to make public participation more inclusive and meaningful. He leads with a mix of humility,...

Camp Govlife: ELGL 2025 Conference

Welcome to Camp GovLife — ELGL’s 2025 conference in Santa Rosa, CA! Grab your ELGL socks and canteen, dust off your compass, and pack your backpacks — Camp GovLife is calling! ELGL’s 2025 conference is heading to Santa Rosa, CA, from Oct. 1-3, 2025. Whether you’re a seasoned local gov pro or a first-time local...

How the City of Manhattan's New Dashboard is Raising the Bar in Kansas' Little Apple

Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Ted Jackson from Arlington, VA, Co-Founder of ClearPoint Strategy, a strategic planning and execution software for local governments. Connect with Ted on LinkedIn. What I’m reading: "Material World" by Ed Conway What I’m watching: "Severance" What I’m listening to: Acquired Podcast Manhattan, Kansas, fondly known as "The...

Why You Should Nominate a Top Influencer

Every year ELGL honors the Top 100 Influencers in Local Government — people who make a difference in their communities and the larger local gov network, and who demonstrate ELGL values of joy, creativity, connection, dependability, and equity through their work and public activities. As we accept nominations for 2025 Top Influencers, and as public...

It's Time Everyone Knew About Your All-America 'Sustainable' City

Today’s Morning Buzz is by Anthony Santiago, Principal for Outside N Strategies, and a proud National Civic League board member. Anthony currently lives in Central New Jersey, but his heart is always with Newark. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn. What I’m reading: The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper...

Making the Case: Why the Equity Conversation Should Continue

Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Ariana Adame, Director of Capital Projects for the City of West Sacramento. Connect with Ariana on LinkedIn. What I’m reading: Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday What I’m watching: A Man on the Inside on Netflix What I’m listening to: Pronoia by Carly Pearl Why Local Governments Should Apply...

Steal This Book: Unorthodox Lessons from Abbie Hoffman for Modern Local Government

Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Sheila Shockey, founder, CEO, futurist, Shock Talk Podcast host at Shockey Consulting, and artist/gallery owner at 80 Santa Fe in Downtown Overland Park, Kansas. Follow Sheila on LinkedIn, and on Instagram here, and here. What I’m watching: Celebrity Apprentice - Presidential Cabinet Remix - Oh, I mean...

5 Innovative Methods to Create New State and Local Government Services

Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Bill Brantley, President and Chief Learning Officer for BAS2A. Connect with Bill on LinkedIn. What I’m reading: “The Employee Advantage: How Putting Workers First Helps Business Thrive” What I’m watching: Season 5 of “Star Trek: Lower Decks” What I’m listening to: The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society’s...

Local Government — We Have Issues

Today's Morning Buzz is brought to you by Jennifer Teal, Manager at Raftelis and Adjunct Instructor at The Ohio State University John Glenn College of Public Affairs. Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn. What I’m reading: "The Bright Sword" by Lev Grossman What I’m watching: Season 4 of both "The Umbrella Academy" and "Only Murders in...

City Hall Selfie Day: 2024 Honorees

City Hall Selfie Day: 2024 Honorees Together, we reached more than 6 million people during the ninth-annual City Hall Selfie Day on Aug. 15, 2024. We saw so much community pride on display in small towns, big cities, and everywhere in between. Thanks to everyone who celebrated City Hall Selfie Day with us!...

Equity and the Commons: The Importance of Fair Access to Public Green Spaces

Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Mary King, a writer and public space researcher based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She works for Envisio. Connect with Mary on LinkedIn! What I’m working on: An essay and interview series that explores public spaces in cities! What I'm reading: "Weather" by Jenny Offill What I’m watching: I'm late to...