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Podcast: Leading ICMA and the Roots of Professional Government with Julia Novak, ICMA

Julia Novak CEO and Executive Director ICMA LinkedIn 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 Serving Three Organizations Made Me Better at All of Them

Today's Morning Buzz is by Aarón Zavala, Assistant to the City Manager for Pleasanton, Calif. Connect with him on LinkedIn and Instagram. What I’m working on: BELONG Pleasanton, our initiative for Building Equity, Leadership, Opportunity, Nurturing, and Growth, plus Emergency Management and internal communications strategy. What I’m listening to: College football season means the Peristyle...

From Typewriters to TikTok: The Evolution of the Government Communicator

Featured image created by Google Gemini Today's Morning Buzz is brought to you by Tabitha Clark, Communications Director for the City of Perry, Georgia. Connect with Tabitha on LinkedIn. What I’m Listening To: AI Six Podcast, Joanne Sweeney Picture a government communicator today: putting out a social media fire, filming a reel, hosting a live...

Podcast: An ICMA Conference Recap, Leadership, Urban Revitalization, and Hot Wings - GovLove Island

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...

From Rules to Real Life - Designing with Empathy in Local Government (Part II)

This is the second post in a two-part series from Dana Healy, Chief Operations Officer for Tightrope Media Systems (connect with Dana on LinkedIn) that explores how small, compassionate design choices build trust and inclusion in public communication. In Part 1 of this series (see Removing Rocks, Not Moving Mountains - Building Habits of Care in...

Removing Rocks, Not Moving Mountains - Building Habits of Care in Accessible Design (Part I)

Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Dana Healy, Chief Operations Officer for Tightrope Media Systems. Connect with Dana on LinkedIn. What I’m reading: Inclusive Design for Accessibility What I’m watching: Need suggestions! What I’m listening to: Government Video Podcast - Episode 9, Season 2 This year, I’ve traveled to conferences around the country...

The Sounds of Silence (or, "When People Still Don't Show")

Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Matt Horn, the Director of Strategic Growth and Development for MRB Group – once described as “the worst audience participant Cirque du Soleil ever had”. Check out his stoic musings on LinkedIn. What I’m Watching: The Ambassador on Netflix. Who knew Kerry Russell was still around? What I’m...

Podcast: Parks Commissioner to City Council Member with Mitchell Silver, Raleigh, NC

Mitchell Silver Council Member City of Raleigh, NC LinkedIn 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...

Trust as a Verb: Everyday Actions That Build (or Break) Workplace Trust

Today's Morning Buzz is brought to you by Demetrius "D" Parker. “D” is an inspirational speaker, workshop facilitator, and executive coach, with over 40 years of leadership experience and 10.5 of those years in local government. He’s now the founder and pragmatical leader of “Trust Leadership Collective." What I’m reading: Making Team Dynamics Visible by...

The Future of Public Sector Leadership Is Human

Today’s Morning Buzz is by Angela Wilson, Deputy Public Information Officer for the Town of Frederick, Colorado. Follow Angela on LinkedIn and Instagram @lifeman_life What I’m listening to: Shade 45 on SiriusXM What I’m eating: Homemade Protein Bars Technology promises to make everything easier. But does anyone really feel that? I know I don’t. If...

How Facilitation Turned My Fear Into a Superpower - Here’s How It Can Be Yours, Too

Today's Morning Buzz is brought to you by Madeliene Hernandez, Deputy Director, Innovation & Performance for the City of Seattle, currently residing in Kingston, WA a.k.a. “little city by the sea.” Connect with Madeliene on LinkedIn. What I’m reading: Modern Friendship by Anna Goldfarb. What I’m watching: Just finished Wayward on Netflix – creepy! What...

Podcast: Cohesive Planning and Community Growth in Downers Grove, IL with with Jason Zawila and John Houseal

Jason Zawila Planning Manager Village of Downers Grove, IL LinkedIn John Houseal Partner Houseal Lavigne LinkedIn 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...

Wait… Did I Just Go to the "Dark Side?"

Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Emily Colon. Emily is a former deputy city manager turned consultant, helping local governments strengthen leadership, culture, and strategy with the Southern Group. She believes the best kind of work is the kind that makes communities better, no matter where you do it. Connect with Emily on...

Webinar: Building Resilience with Cloud Technologies

Wednesday, Nov. 5 10 AM PST / 11 AM MST / Noon CST / 1 PM EST Register Here! Join ELGL and Tyler Technologies for this webinar: Governments leverage cloud technologies to increase security, scalability, and transparency. There are a lot of cloud offerings on the market, but which will help your government meet the...

Finding Purpose from 400 Miles Away: Perspectives from a Supercommuter in Local Government

Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Alexander Fung, Economic Development Manager from the City of Eastvale, CA. Connect with Alexander on LinkedIn. What I am eating: Mooncake (because it is Moon Festival!) What I am watching: “The Paper” on Peacock What I am working on: Preparing for a Washington, D.C. lobbying trip with...

Letters from Camp GovLife: Looking Back

It's only been a week since we all departed Camp GovLife, but we cannot stop watching the camp video that played on the final night we were all together. The photos don't really do justice to the amount of joy and enthusiasm everyone had for being together and sharing their own Local Gov stories. The...

Podcast: Leadership and Change Management with Kelly McAdoo, Santa Barbara, CA

Kelly McAdoo City Administrator City of Santa Barbara, CA LinkedIn 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...

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...

Podcast: Pouring into Public Service with Lesley Milton, St. Helena, CA

Lesley Milton Deputy City Manager City of St. Helena, CA LinkedIn 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...

Letters from Camp GovLife: Day 2

How do you even capture the absolute joy and excitement we got to witness yesterday at Camp GovLife?