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Weekly Update

Dear ELGL members, This week, we shared with you experiences from three local government conferences in Missouri, Texas, and Colorado: #MCMA17 Update: Headed Home Tales About Texas: Until the Next Episode #CCCMA in Glenwood Springs, CO 2017 I think Kent said it best in his thank you message to the ELGL members who participated in...

Beyond the Chatter: Developing a Credible Voice

With all the chatter about government communications, we want to highlight content that our members have provided on the topic. Articles How to Write an Irresistible Press Release AND Get It Noticed - Angelica Wedell, NRC, Inc. The matters of local government are solid, hard news to local media outlets. City plans, decisions and events have direct impact...

Kittleson's Corner: Pyramid of Greatness

Welcome back to Kittelson’s Corner my (now) weekly musings on things I think are interesting or important, especially in local government nerd-dom. It's been a long week, the uncertainty and craziness at the national level has definitely gotten to me this week. Hard to believe it's only week one... More about that later on, but one...

How to Influence Local Government (Even More Responses)

We asked, "what are specific actions for increasing your influence on the local level?" ELGL has responded swiftly and specifically. Our latest entry comes from Josephine Gatti Schafer, Assistant Professor, Kansas State University (Twitter). Add your ideas by sending them to kent@elgl.org. Here are a few specific actions for answering the call to action. Advocate for policy...

Podcast: Preparing for the Snowpocalypse with Mark Vanderpool

Mark Vanderpool City Manager City of Sterling Heights, MI Bio | LinkedIn | Twitter What does it take to handle winter weather? From pre-treatment to salting and plowing the City Manager of Sterling Heights, MI talks about all the preparation and work that goes into keeping roads clear in even the harshest of winters. Mark talked about...

#CCCMA in Glenwood Springs, CO 2017

Greetings from the CCCMA Winter Conference in Glenwood Springs! It's snowing and absolutely beautiful here. And the hospitality is off the charts. Beers and burgers last night at Doc Holliday's Tavern, now... local government awesomeness. The conference started with a keynote by Bob Lavigna of CPS Consulting; he covered the gamut of why government should...

Opportunity Knocks — How to Influence Local Government (More Responses)

We continue to receive additional suggestions for building influence locally. Kris Schaeffer (Twitter) is the latest to share suggestions. You can share your thoughts by send an email to kent@elgl.org. My mantra: Create a great place to live, work, play and learn. Identify key advocacies that are important to your town and you. Focus on these rather...

Adventures of an Accounting Red Raider

This is Part One of Casey Camor's blog series about her path to a PhD in Business Administration at Texas Tech University. Casey's decision to head back to graduate school and pursue a doctorate in local government financial management was based on her experiences working at the municipal level. Previously, Casey was the Finance Director in...

Beyond Bean Counting: How to Lead

This is the second installment of a four-part series on how local government finance officers can make a BIG impact when given a seat at the table! In a previous post, we looked at why finance professionals can help their organizations and themselves by assuming a leadership role in strategic planning. For those who want...

Opportunity Knocks — How to Influence Local Government (a response)

Dr. Benjamin Clark (LinkedIn and Twitter) is on the faculty of the Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management at the University of Oregon as an assistant professor. In this article, he expands on the opportunities to make a difference locally. Previously, he wrote an M-Word Beat-Down. Kent Wyatt, the ELGL Co-Founder (find him on LinkedIn...

Tales About Texas: Until the Next Episode

Live from the SGR Conference in Grapevine, TX! ELGL co-founder Kent Wyatt chronicles why Texas is more fun than Missouri - A Show-Me State Celebration: #MCMA17. He'll stoke the envy of the Missouri folks and create a few alternative facts to keep everyone on their toes. Friday, January 27 Trendy #SGR2017 has a highlight on Twitter. Until the...

Be Kind Rewind... Storytellers with Adam Blowers, City of Geneva, NY

In this series, we’re asking you to tell your life story through eight songs. Starting with your earliest memories, guest columnists will name their defining songs along with a couple of sentences explaining their meaning. Previously: DJ Kirsten Wyatt, DJ Shelby Teufel, DJ Jason Jones, DJ Nick Smith, DJ Sarah Medary, DJ Emily Edmonds, DJ Roy Atkinson, DJ Susan Barkman,...

Podcast: Disruptive Innovation in Louisville, KY

Ed Blayney Innovation Project Manager City of Louisville, KY LinkedIn | Twitter The City of Louisville, KY is one of the leaders in local government innovation and we sat down with Ed Blayney, their innovation project manager. He discussed how they used civic hacking to cut down on fires in vacant homes, how they...

My Life in Presidential Terms with Timothy Martin, City of Roanoke, VA

In this series, ELGL members reflect on how their life has changed from 2008 to 2016, and look forward to where they’ll be in 2024. ELGL members can sign up to share their experiences at My Life in Presidential Terms. By Timothy Martin, City of Roanoke, LinkedIn and Twitter Where were you in 2008? In 2008,...

Six Opportunities to Influence Local Government

By Kent Wyatt, ELGL Co-Founder, City of Tigard, OR, LinkedIn and Twitter Whether you attended the Women's March or voted for Donald Trump, we can agree that government is entering a critical phase. All levels of government face a retiring workforce, aging technology, and a resistance to change. The challenges facing government coincide with the...

#MCMA17 Update: Headed Home

Friday, January 27, 2017 at 3:01 p.m. Kirsten: I'm in the Chicago airport on my way back to Portland. My time in Columbia was memorable and meaningful. Here are some reflections: Meredith Hauck and Ben DeClue put together a great conference. With three sessions and a networking lunch, it was an easy and accessible way...

The Fieriest, Friendliest Rivalry in Local Government

Everyone knows that the League of Wisconsin Municipalities (ELGL organizational member) and Georgia Municipal Association are engaged in the hottest rivalry in local government. Experts have compared the rivalry to the Lakers and Celtics, UNC and Dook, Red Sox and Yankees, and Zack Morris and Slater. https://twitter.com/LeagueWIMunis/status/822953982356242433 https://twitter.com/amyh_gma/status/822953044983812096 Today the biggest prize to date is on...

Never Settle for a Single Mentor

Chris Floore LinkedIn | Twitter Find a mentor? No…find several mentors. Each person you work for and around, or even those that work for you, can teach you something to make you better at life and career. Everyone has a special set of skills from which you could potentially learn, and you should be actively looking at...

#WomensMarch: Show Support and Get Involved

The 2017 Women's March is for any person, regardless of gender or gender identity, who believes women’s rights are human rights. ELGL will show our continued support for women's rights by highlighting our #13Percent series throughout the day on Facebook and Twitter. This post is one-stop shopping for articles written by ELGL members about women's rights....

Kittelson's Corner: Going to City College

Welcome back to Kittelson’s Corner my (now) weekly musings on things I think are interesting or important, especially in local government nerd-dom. If you're a little down after the events of yesterday, take it from me, looking up Joe Biden GIFs will make you feel better. Here's one of my many, many favorites. (Also Biden rode...