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Cast Your Vote: #CityHallSelfie Award Categories

Each year, we celebrate #CityHallSelfie award winners in multiple categories. In addition to your favorite categories, in 2019 we're taking your suggestions for new #CityHallSelfie awards on Engagement Corner. Log on and share your best ideas, and then start planning today to win a coveted #CityHallSelfie trophy and swag. As a reminder, here are the...

A Tasty Culture: How Local Government Can Transform the Planning Process to Unleash Innovation

Today's Buzz is by Greg Stopka (Twitter and LinkedIn) What I am watching: Stranger Things Season 3 (I wrote this before July 4th premiere but I'm sure that's what I'll be watching on July 9th) What I am listening to: Audio book of The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (on a Robert Langdon fix) What...

New ELGL Award Program: the Meagle

ELGL members frequently seek more information about workforce development, employee engagement, succession planning, work-life balance, and other human resources topics. We also know that many local government organizations are doing great work in these areas and want to showcase how they're creating exciting, vibrant, and meaningful workplaces. And so - this summer, ELGL adds a...

To the Class of 2019: Government Needs You

This guest blog is by ELGL member Zach Garelik with OpenGov. College graduates of 2019, I see you. So many of you are showing up in my digital feed, beaming in your caps and gowns. I hope you’re soaking in the magnitude of your moment. You’ve worked hard for it and deserve to be celebrated....

Public Participation: High-Performance Government’s Early Warning System

This guest blog is by ELGL member Jay Anderson, the City Engagement Specialist with the City of Colorado Springs, CO. Connect with Jay! “This is going to slow everything down.” “I’ll have to run fewer projects.” “You’re giving us more work on top of what we already have to do.” These are the objections I...

Security and Safety at Work

What I’m listening to – Catching up on Govlove episodes What I’m watching – Nationals baseball What I’m doing – Prepping ribs for the BBQ Violent incidents at municipal facilities, like the shooting in Virginia Beach, hit home especially hard for local government professionals. While mass shootings in America appear to be happening with increasing...

Die Hard & Design-Based Problem Solving

Today’s Morning Buzz is by Josh Edwards, so be kind or not– either way connect with him on LinkedIn and Twitter!!! What I’m Listening To: Staying Pumped up post #ELGL19 with Queen hits like "Don't Stop Me Now" What I’m Reading: HBR's 10 Must Reads on Innovation What I’m Watching: NBA & NHL Playoffs What does my favorite holiday movie...

I Have to Ask: The Pressure of Innovation

In this series, guest columnists respond to one of three topics selected by ELGL co-founder Kent Wyatt. This week, Greg Stopka, Strategy and Innovation Manager, Park District of Oak Park, writes about the opportunities and challenges of the "innovation" title. What’s your definition of innovation? It’s a loaded term and I remember when I worked...

Hi, Welcome to Local Government. How Can I Help You?

Today’s Morning Buzz is by Allie Camp. Connect with her on LinkedIn Local government is not typically known for its customer service even though those who work in local government are dedicated to serving the public. Local government is sometimes more associated with regulation, fees, and politics versus customer friendliness and helpful resources. My name...

Even Annelise Deserves Empathy

What I’m Watching: Oh, man. I am deep in a YA Netflix binge of “All-American”. I’m a sucker for shows about teens moving from a poor neighborhood to a rich neighborhood AND inspirational sports stories. And it has Taye Diggs. What I’m Reading: Currently on the third book in my one-person “Democratic Presidential Candidate Memoir”...

Workforce 2030

What I’m listening to – Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All What I’m watching – Coverage of the Douglas County school shooting What I’m doing – Researching master plans I was privileged to travel to Washington, DC last week to attend a meeting of the Center for State and Local Government Excellence...

City Managers Are Not Pithy, Just Professional

This post is by ELGL member Clay Pearson, in response to this Governing blog about Pueblo, Colorado's form of government. Really? Advocating a form of government so there’s one person supposed to answer the phone for a developer inquiry? Seems certain to break down at the first sign of delegation from the all-knowing singular boss....

Could the ELGL Conference Change Your Life? It Did For Me.

This guest blog is by Sarah Moss, Civic Dreamer and Doer, Twitter | LinkedIn | Web. What I’m ?: The new album from Johhnyswim, who has a concert near Durham on Tuesday, May 14, the night before #ELGL19 starts! Hit me up on Twitter if you want to join me for the show. What I’m...

City on the Line: Budget as a Reflection of Vision

ELGL recently hosted an #ELGLBookClub on “City on the Line.” As part of this effort, author Andrew Kleine gifted five copies of the book to ELGL members so they could read, participate, and share what they’re learning with the ELGL family. This third installment is by Lindsay Jacques with the City of Hillsboro, Oregon. Read the first installment here. Read...

State of Social at State of the City

Right Now with Nick Smith (Linkedin/Twitter) What I'm watching: Science YouTuber / actual rocket scientist Destin Sandlin's 3-part series on how bad actors are manipulating social media algorithms What I'm listening to: Dinosaur Pile-Up's new single "Thrash Metal Cassette" (NSFW language, grab headphones and a working air guitar) Our State of the City event is...

Webinar: Lessons on Census Field Recruitment from San Jose

Shared from our friends at Cities of Service: Webinar: Lessons on Census Field Recruitment from San Jose Wednesday May 1, 2019 from 3:30 - 4:30p EST One of the greatest challenges that cities will face while preparing for the upcoming 2020 Census is ensuring that accurate and consistent information reaches community members. Cities of Service...

Innovation Cohort

2020 Innovation Cohort 2020 Innovation Cohort ELGL and UrbanLeap have partnered to create the 2020 Innovation Cohort Program, which brings together innovators from cities, counties, and towns across the country to utilize UrbanLeap’s innovation management platform to facilitate collaborative innovation projects. The 2020 Innovation Cohort is bringing together organizations from across the nation this year....

Member Profile: Zach Lewis

Zach Lewis Graduate Student, NC State University MPA Program Twitter | LinkedIn So far, what's your proudest accomplishment in 2019? I am currently working on my MPA at North Carolina State University, and am a Graduate Public Policy Research Assistant to a Professor of public policy. With his guidance, I was offered and signed a...

Take Your Agency's Emoji Use to 💯

Right Now with Warren Kagarise (Linkedin/Twitter/Instagram) What I'm watching: "The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley" — and the accompanying Twitter frenzy about whether former CEO Elizabeth Holmes used a fake voice. What I'm listening to: The lineup for the just-concluded Treefort Music Fest, one of my favorite spring traditions and another great reason...

Embracing Your Local Newspaper

Today’s Buzz (which is still technically posted in the morning for those of us in the Central time zone!) is by Brianna Lennon — connect with her on Twitter and LinkedIn. What I’m Watching: Parks and Rec (again) What I’m Reading: Lots and lots of elections articles What I’m Listening To: my Pink Floyd station on Pandora...