GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

GovLove Co-Host Lauren Palmer was joined by several friends of the pod to recap the 2026 ICMA Conference. John Schwend is the Town Manager at the Town of McCandless, PA, Mike Ekey is the Assistant City Manager at the City of Belton, MO, John Peraza is the Assistant to the City Manager at the City of Moreno Valley, CA, Kassandra Aleskova is the Management Assistant in the Economic Development Department for the City of Buckeye, AZ, and Stephanie Mason is the Township Manager at Doylestown Township, PA. They discussed their favorite sessions at the conference, ideas they wanted to bring back to their communities, and the time commitment it takes to serve on the ICMA and ELGL Boards.

This episode was recorded from the 2026 ICMA Conference in Long Beach, CA.

Panel: John Schwend, Mike Ekey, John Peraza, Kassandra Aleskova, Stephanie Mason, and Lauren Palmer

Aaron Marcavitch, Director of Economic and Community Development for the Town of Enfield, Connecticut joined the podcast to talk about redevelopment. He shared the importance of redevelopment and the role of historic preservation. He also discussed how to shift the perception of a community.

Host: Marissa Baum

Jeff Marino, Planning Manager at the City of Champaign, Illinois joined the podcast to discuss how the City worked to improve customer service in the building permit and development approval process. The City underwent a Development Services Audit which won an award from the Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) and allowed them to implement best practices alongside a new software system. He discussed the purpose of the audit, the importance of coordinating all reviews, and benefits of customer engagement.

This episode was recorded at the American Planning Association – Illinois Chapter 2026 Annual Conference.

Host: Dan Bolin and Andy Cross

Sabrina Abdulla, Director of Customer Experience for the City of Sugar Land, Texas joined the podcast to discuss customer service in local government. She talked about how the prioritizes customer experience through their 311 call center, resident surveys, and communication. He also discussed her career path and the transition from operations work to policy and strategy work.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Jennifer Wills, City Manager for the City of Longview, Washington joined the podcast to discuss her career path and transition from the Parks and Recreation Department to City Manager. She talked about the transition from peer to leader and how her background and leadership style have informed her approach to city management. She shared how she's using leadership training and community engagement to breakdown silos in the organization. She also talked about economic development and responding to a disaster.

Host: Ben Kittelson

To recognize 10 years of GovLove co-host Ben Kittelson started a retrospective project. He went back through the archives and picked 10 of our favorite guests to interview again as part of the anniversary. These guests are from all over the country and in various local government roles but the thing they have in common is they gave great insight into the profession and into the work of local government. As part of those conversations we asked them to reflect on the last 10 years of local government, the trends and challenges that have impacted the way that organizations do their work and provide service to their communities. This episode pulls together their answers about trends and the themes were fascinating, from COVID and remote work to polarization, AI, and the rising demands on government they hit on the big issues of our time. Host: Ben Kittelson

1. Starting as a New County Manager and Building Culture with Josh Edwards, York County, SC
2. Finance, Innovation, and Emerging Trends with Chris Morrill and Shayne Kavanagh, GFOA
3. Leadership and Change Management with Kelly McAdoo, Santa Barbara, CA
4. Parks Commissioner to City Council Member with Mitchell Silver, Raleigh, NC
5. Leading ICMA and the Roots of Professional Government with Julia Novak, ICMA
6. Development and Customer Service with JC Hudgison, Tampa, FL
7. Utilities, Leadership, and an Employee-First Culture with Cathy Bailey, Cincinnati, OH
8. Building a People-Centered Workforce with Alex Lawrence, Boston, MA
9. City Management and Public Works with Ginger Spencer, Phoenix, AZ
10. Equity in Action and Supporting Small Businesses with Aleea Slappy Wilson, Norfolk, VA

Cassie Johnson, Interim General Manager of WestWorld for the City of Scottsdale, Arizona joined the podcast to discuss her transition from the Police Department to the City's equestrian event center. She talked about wanting to take on interim assignments to build her leadership skills and how her management and professional skillset from the Police Department transferred to her new role. She also talked about the operations of WestWorld as a special event venue with events as varied as rodeos and horse shows to camps and concerts.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Chase Bruton, Town Manager for the Town of Yorktown, Indiana joined the podcast to discuss emergency management and preview the upcoming ELGL Gov Grand Prix Conference. He shared how the town responded to recent flooding, upcoming infrastructure projects, and exciting things to do in Indianapolis during the ELGL conference.

Host: Lauren Palmer

Jay Lockaby is a Transportation Supervising Engineer in the Traffic Signals Unit within the Connecticut Department of Transportation Division of Traffic Engineering. He joined the podcast to talk about what the work of traffic engineering involves and his work across the State partnering with local communities to manage traffic. He shared how he has worked with communities to support vision zero or pedestrian initiatives and deploying new connected vehicle technology. He also discussed roundabouts, including the safety benefits and the communications and engagement challenge those projects can pose.

Host: Marissa Baum

Casey Lucius, City Manager for the City of Marco Island, Florida joined the podcast to discuss her transition into the City Manager role and into local government. She talked about her career path which has included time as a Naval Intelligence Officer and in the State Department as well as serving as a City Council Member. She discussed her transition from being Assistant City Manager to the City Manager, changes she is implementing as City Manager, and the City's upcoming bond election.

Host: Ben Kittelson