Taylor Wegrzyn, Director of Economic and Community Development at the City of North Chicago, Illinois and Siraj Asfahani, Vice President at The Lakota Group joined to podcast to discuss the City of North Chicago's award-winning Comprehensive Plan. They discussed the need for more frequent revisions of a comprehensive plan and the unique opportunities of coordinating with the federal government. They also discussed the robust community outreach and resident engagement that informed the development of the plan.

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

Host: Dan Bolin and Andy Cross

Kara Silbernagel, Deputy County Manager for Pitkin County, Colorado joined the podcast to discuss climate action planning. She talked about how the County's work is impacted by Federal land, emergency management, and affordability. She shared the importance of engagement in climate action planning and discussed the elements of the County's plan, especially in building resilience.

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

Host: Ben Kittelson

Jessica Kinser, City Administrator for the City of Faribault, Minnesota, joined the podcast to discuss empowering women and employment contract negotiations. She shared her unique experience negotiating contracts as a city's first manager, an internal candidate, and a manager in transition. She also highlighted common mistakes to avoid, the importance of using data in a negotiation, and the value of a good professional network.

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

Host: Lauren Palmer

Erin Dalton, Director of the Department of Human Services at Allegheny County, Pennslyvania and Mariana Escallón Barrios, an Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon University - Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy joined the podcast to discuss data driven health organizations. They shared how the County integrates data to predict outcomes better, the partnership between the County and the University, and what projects they are looking forward to in the future.

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

Host: Meredith Reynolds

Nancy Hill, Community Development Director at the Village of South Elgin, Illinois and Geoffrey Dickinson, Senior Vice President at SB Friedman Development Advisors joined the podcast to discuss ethics and economic development. They discussed different ethical scenarios in economic development as they related to the ICMA and APA code of ethics.

This episode was recorded at the 2024 Illinois Tax Increment Association Conference.

Host: Dan Bolin

GovLove Co-hosts Meredith, Lauren, and Ben were joined by Brent Stockwell, Assistant City Manager at the City of Scottsdale, AZ and Amie Hendrix, City Manager at the City of Geneva, NY to recap the recent ICMA Conference. They discussed AI, community engagement, a case study in managing homelessness, the role of the manager in community leadership, and the ELGL Analyst Academy. They shared insights on lessons learned, their favorite sessions, and key takeaways. 

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

Panel: Meredith Reynolds, Lauren Palmer, Ben Kittelson, Brent Stockwell, and Amie Hendrix

Teri Black, Founder and CEO of Teri Black & Company joined the podcast to discuss local government recruitment. She outlines the process of local government recruiting, building candidate pools, and trends in recruiting.

Host: Meredith Reynolds

Elena Christopher, a Recreation Programs Specialist at the Camacho Activity Center in the City of Austin, Texas, joined the podcast to discuss adaptive recreation. She shared the difference between accessible and adaptive programs. She talked about the unique outdoor programs they offer to participants with disabilities and the additional risk management factors to consider in adaptive outdoor programs. The also talked about the importance of partnering with local community groups and how to source adaptive equipment.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Wes Marshall, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado - Denver joined the podcast to discuss his book, Killed by a Traffic Engineer. He talked about the history of the traffic engineering field and it's relationship to data and science. He shared the problem with current traffic safety metrics and the importance of prioritizing safety over reducing congestion. He also shared how he would improve traffic safety and how the traffic engineering field needs to change.

Host: Ben Kittelson

Lee Cockerell is a retired Executive Vice President of Operations for Walt Disney World Resort and has consulted local governments and companies all over the world. He joined the podcast to discuss leadership, customer service, and creating Disney magic. He shared his definition of customer service, the importance of clear expectations, and how to build a culture of customer service. He also talked about managing large teams and achieving work-life balance.

Host: Rafael Baptista