“y’all didn’t think we were gonna talk about the sex

appeal of water meters, did you?” -Dave

“I just wanna put it out there. Sexy is a bonafide

public policy term. It is absolutely in the vernacular.” - Eden

In this episode of Generation on the Rise, host Brandon Ford, along with co-hosts Eden Ratliff, and Dave Pribulka tackles a theme every local government professional eventually feels: what happens to idealism under the administrative weight of local government? They explore how bright-eyed employees and experienced managers alike dare to bring bold ideas into organizations that move at a cautious, political pace.

From FEMA flood maps and unaffordable insurance mandates to curbside compost pilots, rural broadband, and “pitch day” idea sessions, the hosts debate the long game of innovation in public service. Is idealism crushed… or refined? Is innovation easier in small towns or large systems? And how do managers protect enthusiasm without promising what can’t be delivered? This episode is a candid look at risk, culture, pace of change, and how leaders keep the spark alive in a system that is built to resist.

"I have two post-it notes on my desk that have followed me to the many jobs that I've had. One says, 'don't be an obstacle.' And the other one says, 'shut up and listen.'" - Dave

"Ideas don't usually die straight out—they die or fade away administratively. The bureaucracy often wears everything down." - Brandon

“Local government is a long game. Innovation especially is a long game.” - Eden

⏱️ Timestamps

* 00:00 – Cold open, MLK weekend, intro

* 01:30 – Topic launch: idealism vs reality in local government

* 03:30 – Recruiting innovators vs navigating systems

* 06:00 – Culture, risk, and managers driving pace of change

* 08:30 – When ideas get shelved: personal experiences

* 11:30 – Eden’s floodplain / stormwater infrastructure story

* 15:30 – Cynicism vs experience vs risk aversion debate

* 18:30 – Timing, turnover, and “the long game”

* 20:30 – Small vs large municipality innovation debate

* 24:30 – Defining innovation vs change

* 29:00 – Dave’s rural broadband case study

* 33:00 – Is this generation more innovation-oriented?

* 36:00 – Social media, scrutiny, and risk today

* 43:30 – How managers build a culture of innovation

* 48:30 – “Pitch Day” concept discussion

* 52:30 – Advice to young professionals

* 55:00 – Closing reflections

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In this kickoff-to-2026 episode of Generation on the Rise, hosts Dave Pribulka, Brandon Ford, and Eden Ratliff tackle the question: what is the real role of a municipal manager in forming local government policy? They trade stories about leaf-blower bans, stormwater fees, single use plastic bags, and the emotional discipline it takes to “inform the process, respect the outcome, and then deliver with enthusiasm.”

Along the way they talk about translating up (staff to board) and down (board to staff), how much emotion managers should bring to policy disagreements, and why this generation of leaders may be more willing to push the system.

This is a great listen for anyone interested in the work of local government or just wants to understand how it really works. Be sure to leave your comments and questions for the crew to tackle in a future episode.

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“Our job is to inform the process, respect the outcome, and then deliver with enthusiasm.” - Eden

“We took ‘leaf blower ban’ as a goal and did what staff does—we turned it into options, wrote the ordinance, and recommended a seasonal ban. The board said, ‘Thanks, but we want a full ban.’ And that’s democracy.” - Brandon

“Sometimes the textbook says, ‘The board sets policy, the manager administers.’ The real work is everything in between—the translation, the conflict, the opportunity costs.” - Dave

* 00:00 – New Year banter & Y2K

* 03:30 – First-week-back routines & “Purge Day”

* 06:30 – Reorganization meetings as the “real” New Year

* 09:00 – Setting up the topic: managers and policy formation

* 10:00 – Textbook council–manager model vs reality

* 12:00 – How Eden reads and frames board policy priorities

* 13:30 – Who really sets the agenda? Chair vs manager

* 14:30 – Is capital equipment a policy question?

* 16:00 – Municipal vs nonprofit vs corporate boards

* 17:30 – Disagreeing with the board and processing it at home

* 21:00 – Culture, roles, and “no big emotions” about policy

* 24:00 – Translating decisions up and down the organization

* 28:00 – “Negotiation” vs expectations and culture

* 29:30 – When managers do and don’t make recommendations

* 33:00 – Budgets, tax policy, and whether a balanced budget is a recommendation

* 36:00 – Assistant manager perspective: one functional unit

* 38:00 – Preemption, home rule, and plastic-bag bans

* 44:00 – Inertia, backlash, and revisiting policy after it “marinates”

* 47:00 – What’s distinctive about the Generation on the Rise cohort?

* 48:00 – When operations are failing and the manager must force the policy conversation

* 49:00 – Closing reflections & takeaways

Summary: In this thought-provoking episode, Brandon, Dave, and Eden tackle the complex topic of workplace loyalty in local government. The hosts debate what loyalty means in practice, whether it’s connected to tenure, and how it differs from professionalism. The conversation takes an unexpected turn into residency requirements, sparking passionate disagreement about whether living in the community you serve impacts your work. As they wrap up 2024, the hosts announce exciting changes coming in 2025, including guest appearances.

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"Younger professionals are more mobile. The era where you grew up in the town you work for and you spend your entire life there is not necessarily the case." - Brandon

"A number of years ago I worked for a small borough where the governing body said, 'Actually, we'd rather you not [live here]. We think there's gonna be a lot of pressure in this community with the things that we wanna accomplish... We don't really want you to be influenced by your neighbors, the friends you'll make, the social environment.'“ - Eden

"I think if you can live in that jurisdiction, it helps you to cultivate that loyalty, that commitment... It gives you a little more skin in the game…To say that it's not different is just not the way the world works. If you live in that jurisdiction, it's going to have an influence on how you navigate the challenges that you're faced with." - Dave

Show Notes:

* What does workplace loyalty mean in local government?

* The connection (or disconnection) between loyalty and tenure

* ICMA’s two-year standard and generational shifts in career mobility

* Professionalism vs. loyalty: which matters more?

* The heated residency debate: does living in your community change your recommendations?

* Small town dynamics vs. larger municipalities

* Looking ahead: Generation on the Rise adds guests in 2025!

Timestamps:

* 00:00 - Cold open: ICMA’s two-year standard discussion

* 01:00 - Holiday gift assembly war stories

* 05:00 - Defining workplace loyalty in local government

* 08:00 - The role of personal affinity in job selection

* 11:00 - Measuring loyalty: what does it look like?

* 15:00 - The two-year standard and its implications

* 18:00 - Why managers move more frequently now

* 22:00 - ICMA’s two-year standard revisited

* 27:00 - Loyalty vs. professionalism in difficult decisions

* 31:00 - The residency debate begins

* 40:00 - Does living in your community affect recommendations?

* 46:00 - Generational differences in mobility and commitment

* 50:00 - Episode wrap-up and 2025 announcement

As the calendar year closes out, Eden Ratliff sits down with Brandon Ford and Dave Pribulka to talk about strategic planning in the real world: not as a glossy document, but as a working “rudder” for budget decisions, priorities, and day-to-day execution.

They dig into the tension between aspirational goals (the “why”) and cross-offable action steps (the “how”)—including how to avoid plans that sound inspiring but don’t translate into steps, owners, timelines, or resources.

Along the way, they compare planning approaches in large and small communities, debate when to use consultants vs. doing the work in-house, and talk honestly about what happens when boards turn over and want to toss the plan on the shelf.

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Highlights:

I have a love/hate relationship with strategic planning. - Brandon

What comes first, the chicken or the egg? If you don’t make aspirational statements, how do you allocate resources? - Eden

What do you do when you have turnover on your boards and they say throw out the strategic plan or I don’t intend to follow it? - Eden

Sometimes things are just gonna change, and we need to give our boards the latitude to say, ‘Look, we’re just gonna blow this up and start over. - Dave

 Action without vision is, is just passing time. Vision without action is just a dream. Action and vision can change the world. - Nelson Mandela, quoted by Dave)

What’s one priority your community needs to make “cross-offable” in 2026?

Generation on the Rise is produced by Nancy Hess and features Eden Ratliff (Middletown Township Manager, Bucks County PA), Brandon Ford (Lower Merion Assistant Township Manager, Montgomery County PA, and Dave Pribulka (Bellefonte Borough Manager, Centre County PA)

In this episode of ‘Generation on the Rise’, the hosts Dave Pribulka, Eden Ratliff, and Brandon Ford “go there” to unpack the inherent biases present in local government, and how it can impact decision-making processes.

They explore how biases affect hiring practices and public policy formation, emphasizing the need for a culture of challenge and building perspective in leadership. The conversation also touches on the impact of confirmation bias and the necessity of engaging with voices from outside familiar turf to challenge the status quo.

“We all… are looking at the world through our own lens… and everyone’s lens is different… At my first city council meeting… they didn’t say the Pledge of Allegiance.”” - Eden

Takeaways

* The meaning behind the podcast name differs among the hosts.

* Bias is inherent in everyone and affects decision-making processes.

* Do hiring panels mitigate bias?

* Do job descriptions qualifications unnecessarily exclude candidates?

* Community engagement is crucial for effective public policy.

* Confirmation bias can lead to a narrow perspective in decision-making.

* A culture of challenge is essential for innovative ideas.

* Residency requirements can limit the diversity of applicants.

* Engaging with a variety of community voices is necessary for equitable governance.

* The importance of networking with managers across different municipalities.

Chapters

02:51 The Meaning Behind ‘Generation on the Rise’

12:06 Understanding Bias in Local Government

23:47 Bias in Hiring Processes and Practices

28:27 Navigating Education Choices in Suburban Life

29:41 Blind Reviews and Bias in Hiring

31:35 The Importance of Diverse Perspectives

33:17 Creating a Culture of Disagreement

35:01 Affinity Bias in Team Dynamics

37:47 The CAO and Assistant Relationship

42:54 Confirmation Bias in Municipal Management

54:58 The Impact of Experience on Management Bias

59:22 Bias in Public Policy Formation

In this episode, the hosts discuss the challenges of work-life balance in local government, touching on public comment dynamics, the pioneering leaf blower ban initiative, and the importance of personal life beyond work. They explore generational differences in work expectations, the impact of remote work policies, and the recent implementation of a paid parental leave policy. The conversation emphasizes the need for boundaries and support in achieving a healthy work-life balance.

Highlights include: why culture starts at the top (and why “first in, last out” can quietly poison a workplace), why “email jail” keeps people from fully unplugging, what it looks like to structure remote work without creating resentment, and a concrete example of a benefits move that actually supports families: a 12-week paid parental leave policy that includes birth, non-birth parents, adoption, and foster adoption.

“Work-life balance is not about time management. It’s about boundary management. You could always make the time work, but it’s those boundaries—setting those boundaries up.” - Brandon

Join hosts Dave Pribulka, Eden Ratliff, and Brandon Ford for a candid talk about shaping your team in your municipal organizations.

They explore the essential roles needed in local government, the importance of dedicated HR departments, and the challenges of managing diverse personalities within teams. The conversation delves into the hiring process, community engagement in recruitment, and the dynamics of leadership, emphasizing the need for a balance between doers and thinkers.

Hosts Dave Pribulka, Eden Ratliff and Brandon Ford are joined by Nancy Hess (Publisher, MuniSquare) for a candid talk about what real change management looks like in local government. They explore how trust, timing, and human connection shape change - from labor negotiations to leadership teams to community-driven expectations.

Fresh from the ICMA Conference in Tampa, the Generation on the Rise crew dives into how to draw the line between leadership and politics. Eden reflects on his ICMA session about rebuilding trust after a $3.2 million fraud case, while Dave and Brandon unpack what it means to stay apolitical and human in a world where expectations sometimes conflict with professional ethics. From the emotional side of management to candid talk about boards, boundaries, and values, this episode captures the nuance and humor of a profession in flux. Join hosts: Dave Pribulka, Brandon Ford, Eden Ratliff.

Hosts: Eden Ratliff (host), Dave Pribulka, Brandon Ford, and Nancy J. Hess (Publisher of MuniSquare)

In this second episode of Generation on the Rise, host Eden Ratliff leads the team into one of the most defining themes of their careers — networking and mentorship, both the good and the bad.

Topics: Bad mentoring advice, the golf myth, the shadow side of mentoring, bulls in the china shop dynamic, when to leave the nest, how to actually network and the unwritten map to local governments that only peers understand….

“We don’t need another place to tell war stories or complain about councils. We need a space that actually sounds like us — managers who still believe in the work, even when it’s messy.” - Dave

“This is where we go there. We’re willing to go deep, and we’re not afraid to talk about the things everyone thinks but few people say out loud.” - Eden

“These are the conversations we’ve been having for years at conferences and in hallways. We just decided to hit record.” - Brandon

“There’s a dark side to mentoring. Sometimes the same person who opens the door can also be the one who closes it behind you.” — Nancy

“Friendships can and should survive competition. It’s not about who wins — it’s about who keeps growing.” — Eden

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