In a special episode recorded from City Hall in Salt Lake City, Clarence speaks with Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall in the days leading up to City Summit 2025. Hear from Mayor Mendenhall on how the city first received a global view during the 2002 Olympics and has only continued to strengthen in the following years. From enhanced transit to a bustling sports scene to a diverse city council, Mayor Mendenhall shares many of her favorite things about SLC and even clears up many of the misconceptions people may have about the city.

As a bonus episode, we are sharing a timely conversation for local leaders about the month-long federal government shutdown. NLC's Mike Wallace, Legislative Director for Community and Economic Development, joined Todd Glover and Erica Wright from the Municipal Association of South Carolina on their podcast, SCDC. Together, they discuss how we got to this point, the impacts of delaying a funding bill and what local elected officials can expect as they continue leading their communities.

For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Angela Williams joins CitiesSpeak to discuss leadership in a fast-changing world that can feel out of control, finding common ground, and staying grounded to your values and what is important. She is the CEO of United Way Worldwide, a role in which she seems to be everywhere, all at once. Angela Williams is continuing the United Way tradition of acting as an invaluable partner and team member to cities during crises and helping local leaders build for the future. Her career stretches across philanthropy, government service, faith, and justice. She is also the author of a new book perfect for this moment: “Navigating the Age of Chaos.”

For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

As a bonus episode, we are sharing a timely conversation between Irma Esparza Diggs, NLC’s Senior Executive for Federal Advocacy, and the Municipal Association of South Carolina, on their podcast SCDC. Irma reflects on the importance of creating partnerships, including how NLC’s federal advocacy team works with Congress and the administration to meet the needs of local governments as a potential federal government shutdown looms.

Crystal Washington is known for her work helping organizations get the information they need to become “future-proof.” She is an indispensable guide to our digital future, an author, and a hall-of-fame speaker. Last November in Tampa, Crystal enchanted attendees at NLC’s City Summit conference as she engaged members in conversation about how to prepare for the future.

For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott's experience growing up in the Park Heights neighborhood informs his approach to crime prevention, youth services, and other city programs. Clarence and Mayor Scott sit down to discuss Baltimore's focus on disrupting cycles of violence, as well as the lessons he learned about intergovernmental response and resilience leading his city through the 2023 Key Bridge collapse.

For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

As a bonus episode this month, we are sharing an episode of the Chief Influencer podcast, which features an interview with NLC CEO and Executive Director, Clarence Anthony. The Chief Influencer podcast spotlights leaders who have figured out how to break through in today’s fragmented and noisy world. Clarence discusses the importance of inclusive leadership, the lessons from his early mayoral career, and his strategies in navigating complex political landscapes.

For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Promoting economic mobility and ensuring this generation is better off than the last starts at the local level, because local leaders are closest to the issues and the solutions. Allan Golston from the Gates Foundation joins Clarence Anthony to discuss why economic mobility is so critical to our future and the foundation's goals for the next twenty years as they wind down their operations.

For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Social isolation and loneliness were issues that really came to the forefront during the pandemic. When everything shut down five years ago, Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi took it upon himself to look for creative ways to grow connections between residents and build a sense of community, which is how the One Thousand Gatherings initiative was created.

For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

When Mayor Muriel Bowser began her second term in 2019, she set an ambitious goal of creating 36,000 new housing units in Washington, DC by 2025. Six years later, the city has exceeded that goal, and today, Mayor Bowser co-chairs NLC's America's Housing Comeback Advisory Group: a leadership table for housing policy leaders and innovators in the public and private sectors to meet the moment for housing together. In this episode, Mayor Bowser explains why the moment to address housing in America is now and how her hometown is leading the charge.

For more information, visit us at nlc.org.