Marissa Baum, Head of Communications for the City of East Hartford, Connecticut joined the podcast to discuss her role in communications. She shared her transition from museums to local government, how she made an award winning video for #CityHallSelfieDay, and provided insight on going viral in the national media.

Host: Lauren Palmer

Dr. Missy Stults, Sustainability and Innovations Director with the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan, returned to the podcast to give an update on the implementation of the A2ZERO Climate Action Plan and discuss the recent referendum where voters created a Sustainable Energy Utility. She shared how the sustainable energy utility will improve resilience and benefit residents, and what it will take to actually implement the new utility. She also discussed geothermal energy, an upcoming green rental housing program, and other initiatives to address climate change.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Tim Blakeslee, the City Administrator for the City of Plymouth, Wisconsin joined the podcast to discuss the trials and tribulations of a past ice rink project and how it almost became an episode of Parks and Rec. He shared how the public-private partnership was formed to build the ice rink, what issues occurred and how they were addressed, and how he is using the experience to apply it to a ski hill that is currently being built.

Host: Lauren Palmer

Two guests from the joined the podcast to discuss transportation standards and how they shape the built environment. Nate Baker is an At-Large City Council Member for the City of Durham, North Carolina and Lauren Grove is the Vision Zero Coordinator for the City of Durham, North Carolina. Nate shared why a change was needed and building support for the resolution that Durham City Council adopted. Lauren talked about implementing the new standards including working with other departments in the City. They also discussed the impact of the new standards, the role of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), and how to work with other agencies to design right-of-way within your city that you do not control.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Three guests joined the podcast to discuss a new approach to managing and creating social media. Sam Toles is the Founder and CEO at CiviSocial. Ryan Hunt is the Communications and Events Manager and Anne Ambrose is the Assistant City Manager for the City of Cathedral City, California. They shared their new and innovative approach to social media, how they track success, and the importance of video content.

Host: Lauren Palmer

It's the most wonderful time of year! From artificial intelligence and traffic engineering to recruiting and planning, our episodes covered a wide array of all that goes into local government. To celebrate 2024 and look forward to 2025, the GovLove co-hosts teamed up to give out the most prestigious award in local government podcasting. Lauren, Dan, Meredith, and Ben each selected three of their favorite episodes to award a GovieLovie.

Hosts: Lauren Palmer, Dan Bolin, Meredith Reynolds, & Ben Kittelson

1. Killed by a Traffic Engineer with Dr. Wes Marshall
2. Community Leadership, AI, and Engagement an ICMA Conference Recap - GovLove Island
3. Youth-Centric Neighborhood Planning with Dave Walker, Detroit, MI

1. Recovering from Violence with Vince DiPiazza, Uvalde, TX
2. Across the Generations with Sam Badger and Decker Ploehn
3. The Public Administrator's Guide to Artificial Intelligence with Dr. Dylan Hayden

1. Local Government Recruiting with Teri Black, Teri Black & Company
2. Leadership and the Deputy Manager Role with Chelsea Jackson, Douglasville, GA
3. City Planning from Waaaay Downtown with Caitlin Clark, Scottsdale, AZ

1. Rethinking Budgeting with GFOA's Chris Morrill and Shayne Kavanagh
2. Revisiting Minneapolis 2040 with Heather Worthington, Urban3
3. Growing Up in City Hall with Monica Davis and Poonam Davis

Deborah Witzburg, the Inspector General for the City of Chicago, Illinois, joined to the podcast to discuss her current role. She shared the difference between an inspector general and auditor, how she determines which programs of the City to evaluate, and important changes she has implemented related to criminal justice reform.

Host: Lauren Palmer

India Adams-Jacobs, Town Manager of the Town of Bowling Green, Virginia, joined the podcast to talk about her career path and managing a small town. She talked about taking on her current role managing her hometown, the transition to get to know the organization, and how her previous roles prepared her for this role. She also discussed a "returnship" program she started in Colonial Beach that brought retirees in to help add capacity and skills to that small town.

This episode was recorded at the 2024 ICMA Conference in Pittsburgh, PA.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Two guests from the City of Long Beach, California joined the podcast to discuss civic user research. Ryan Kurtzman is the Technology Partnerships Officer and Gati Wankyo is a Training Coordinator. They discussed how civic user research helps the City to improve digital services and technology. They also shared examples of the research in practice and information on the learning cohort.

Host: Meredith Reynolds

Andy Pederson, the Village Manager for the Village of Bayside, Wisconsin joined the podcast to discuss his work on the ICMA Governance Task Force. He shared why the Task Force was formed, the need to rebalance the regions, and how the Code of Ethics influenced the work of the Task Force.

This episode was recorded at the 2024 ICMA Conference in Pittsburgh, PA.

Host: Lauren Palmer