Governing for equity. Dr. Benoy Jacob, the Director of the Community Development Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Division of Extension, joined the podcast to talk about bridging the theory and practice of equity in local government. He shared his research into equity in public administration and the understanding of equity as a field versus a value. He also discussed building partnerships to address issues related to equity.

This episode was recorded at the 2023 Social Equity Leadership Conference in Kansas City, MO.

Host: Lauren Palmer

Outcomes and processes. Three guests joined the podcast to discuss equity and racial justice in the City of Chicago, IL. Nneka Onwuzurike is the Community Wealth Building Lead with the City of Chicago. Anton Seals, Jr. is the Lead Steward for Grow Greater Englewood. Candace Moore is the Chief Equity Officer for the City of Chicago They shared their definitions of equity and racial justice, the work of the Office of Equity and Racial Justice, and community wealth building.

Host: Toney Thompson

Encouraging excellence among public administrators of Asian heritage. Aishwarya Kumar, President of the International Network of Asian Public Administrators (I-NAPA) and Management Analyst at the City of Elk Grove, CA, joined the podcast to talk about her role with I-NAPA and her work in Elk Grove, CA. Aishwarya shared her work in performance management, the importance of I-NAPA, and emerging trends in local government.   Host: Ben Kittelson

Science to promote justice. Max Markham, Vice President, Policy & Community Engagement for the Center for Policing Equity, joined the podcast to talk about building equity in police departments. He shared the work of rebuilding the St. Louis Police Department, the role of administrators and equity officers have in implementing change, and offered tools and techniques for advancing social equity goals.

This episode was recorded at the 2023 Social Equity Leadership Conference in Kansas City, MO.

Host: Lauren Palmer

Activate ATL. Justin Cutler, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation for the City of Atlanta, Georgia, joined the podcast to talk about parks and recreation. Justin shared how he is building the culture with his staff and why he chose to move to the City of Atlanta. He also discussed tackling the challenge of providing equal access to parks and green space to all residents, including how they use the City's Parks and Recreation Equity Data Tool.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Action for the future. Three guests joined the podcast to discuss inclusionary retail. Julia Duranti-Martinez is the Senior Program Officer for Community Impact and Research at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. Andres Sevtsuk is an Associate Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mikeya Griffin is the Executive Director of the Rondo Community Land Trust. They shared the concept of inclusionary retail, the benefits of community land trusts, and the legal tools used to accomplish community ownership.

Host: Dan Bolin

Listening to the Community. Craig Owens, City Manager for the City of Lawrence, Kansas, joined the podcast to talk about budgeting for equity and inclusion. He shared the city's budget process, measuring key performance indicators, and equity and inclusion progress indicators.

This episode was recorded at the 2023 Social Equity Leadership Conference in Kansas City, MO.

Host: Lauren Palmer

Identifying, analyzing, and solving pain points in day-to-day work. Kayla Barber-Perrotta, Budget and Performance Manager for the City of Brighton, Colorado, joined the podcast to talk about performance and process improvement. Kayla shared an in-depth look into the City's five-week Performance and Leadership Academy highlighting building a culture of continuous improvement and executing change. She also shared what led to the creation of the Academy and the organizational changes it has led to.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Action for the future. Three guests joined the podcast to discuss their involvement with Local Government 2030, a convening of local government practitioners working on the grand challenges facing public administration. Megan Caron is a Strategic Initiatives Analyst for the City of Nashua, New Hampshire. Elizabeth McDonald is a Senior Civil Engineer for the City of Savannah, Georgia. Ryan Webb is the Engineering and Community Development Director for The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. They shared what Local Government 2030 is trying to accomplish, different initiatives, and what is coming next for the group.

Host: Dan Bolin

Points for the planet. Two guests joined the podcast to talk about how the City of Lakewood, Colorado has used sustainable development standards to implement their Sustainability Plan. Caitlin Long, Senior Sustainability Planner, and Jonathan Wachtel, Sustainability Manager, discussed the City's enhanced development menu, greenhouse gas mitigation program, and waste diversion program. They also shared how they engaged the community and how developers have reacted to the standards.

Host: Ben Kittelson