Grace Hanne, an Innovation Principal Analyst for Johnson County, KS joined the podcast to discuss the County's Sparks Pilot Program, which is an effort to encourage collaboration and innovation across the organization. The program brings together employees from different areas of the County to work on transformative projects. She detailed what benefits the County and its employees gained from the program and the reasons why local governments should focus and invest in the intersectional and interdisciplinary exchange of ideas in local government.

Host: Meredith Reynolds

Three lawyers walk into a bar. Megan Mack and Greg Jones, both Partners at the local government law firm, Ancel Glink, joined the podcast to talk about recent cases impacting local governments. They discussed the Supreme Court ruling affecting camping bans in Grants Pass v. Johnson. They talked about two zoning cases involving a challenge from residents about a proposed wind farm and a church claiming religious discrimination because it had to apply for a special use permit. Lastly, they discussed an equal protection case involving a municipality's interactions with a property owner. They also shared the partnership their firm has had with the Chicago Metro Section of the American Planning Association (APA) Illinois Chapter.

Host: Dan Bolin

Kayla Barber-Perrotta, Deputy City Manager for the City of Albany, Oregon, rejoined the podcast to talk about her new role. She discussed the transition from Budget and Performance Manager to Deputy City Manager in a new state, what she was looking for in a new position, and the process to interview for a leadership role. She shared advice for others making a career change outside of their organization and how she got to know her new organization. She also talked about how her background in innovation and process improvement has helped her in her new role.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Brianne Fisher, the Climate Action Manager for the City of Tempe, Arizona, joined the podcast to discuss sustainability and climate action. She talked about the importance of urban cooling to reduce risk from extreme heat and how green infrastructure plays a roll. She also shared key elements of the City's Climate Action Plan and the role of resiliency hubs.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Caitlin Lewis, Executive Director for Work for America, joined the podcast to discuss her work in tackling the government staffing crisis in communities nationwide. She shared information about their Civic Match program, opportunities the transition of federal administrations presents for local governments, and why she wants to ban the term 'bureaucrat'.

Host: Meredith Reynolds

Amy Edwards Holmes, former Executive Director for the Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University joined the podcast to discuss data and artificial intelligence (AI) for the public good. She discussed use cases for AI for local government, how to safely use AI, and information about the GovEx City AI Connect. She also discussed how organizations can prepare their employees and why a good data approach can enhance the ability of the public sector to use AI.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Bill Peduto, former Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, joined the podcast to reflect on his service as Mayor. He discussed the accomplishments that he is most proud of and advice he would give to young folks interested in local government or early career professionals. He also talked about his current role as a Distinguished Executive in Residency at the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University.

Host: Meredith Reynolds

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