VML Voice

The VML Voice travels to the Town of Ashland (aka “The Center of the Universe”) to chat about their new town hall. What was wrong with the old town hall? How did the staff and PMA architecture make the case for a new town hall? What makes the new town hall fantastic? And…who paid for it? These, and other questions, are answered in glowing detail.

Guests include Town Manager Josh Farrar, Town Engineer Ingrid Stenbjorn, and PMA Architecture’s Proposal Manager Pam Manager.

And be sure to check out the article about Ashland’s new town hall in the November 2022 issue of Virginia Town & City.

If you’ve checked out the July/August issue of VML’s magazine Virginia Town & City then you already know that it’s all about making the most of all the outdoor recreation options available in our amazing Commonwealth. In this episode of the VML Voice, host Rob Bullington calls contributing author Jessica Bowser for a chat about all the great advice in her article “How to recreate in Virginia”.

Jessica is an accomplished Virginia outdoors recreation enthusiast, official “Master Hiker” and host of the Virginia Outdoor Adventures podcast which provides a platform for individuals to tell their stories, to share their connection to the outdoors, and to build a local community where the outdoors are for everyone. Learn more here >.

Take it from a Virginia outdoors nut like Jessica Bowser, there’s some simple things everyone can do to make the most of their getaways!

In episode one, we learned that confidence is what makes a great public speaker, well, great. In this second part of our two part series on “Strategies for Successful Public Speaking,” Leslie Strickler of Etre Communications explains how everyone can be more confident and achieve greatness as a public speaker.

Do you suffer from glossophobia – the fear of public speaking? Well, you’re not alone. It’s estimated that as much as 75 percent of all people are fearful of speaking in front of groups. If you’re a public official or local government staff, the occasions where you need to speak in public can be frequent and unavoidable. That’s why the VML Voice is doing a two part series on “Strategies for Successful Public Speaking.” In this first episode we talk with public speaking instructor Myeisha Grady from VML Community Business Member the American Public University System.

In November of 2021 the City of Radford was missing a councilmember. Well, they weren’t really “missing” a councilmember; he had resigned before the end of his term to pursue a job opportunity elsewhere. But, missing or not, the remaining councilmembers had a vacant seat to fill. Normally, they would have appointed someone without too much fanfare to finish out the term. However, this time the City of Radford decided to bring the public into the process. It’s no mystery how this case was resolved, because the VML Voice — with some help from Radford Mayor Horton, Vice-Mayor Huntington, and Councilmember Harshberger — is here to tell you all about it!

VML is able to do what we do thanks to the fantastic work done by the local officials and managers who serve on our committees and Board of Directors. In this episode we visit with some new and veteran Board members to find out what makes VML work and why folks might want to devote some of their time and energy to serving on VML’s Board and committees. Participants include:

President Jon Stehle (Council Member, City of Fairfax), At-Large Member Robert C. Ike, Jr. (Council Member, City of Chesapeake), At-Large Member Derrick Wood (Mayor, Town of Dumfries),  City Section Chair Randy C. Eads (City Manager, City of Bristol), Town Section Chair Steven Trivett (Mayor, Town of Ashland),  Urban Section Chair Katie Cristol (Board Member, County of Arlington), and Immediate Past President Willie Greene (Mayor, City of Galax).

Connections start with conversations and VML’s Annual Conference is one of the best places for local government leaders in Virginia to share stories, trade experiences and build connections. In the spirit of building connections, the VML Voice is pleased to offer this four-part series of podcasts recorded during the 2021 Annual Conference held Oct. 3-5, 2021 at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg.

Hosts:

• Jon Stehle – VML President and Councilmember for the City of Fairfax

Guests:

• Ross Litkenhous – Councilmember, City of Falls Church

Connections start with conversations and VML’s Annual Conference is one of the best places for local government leaders in Virginia to share stories, trade experiences and build connections. In the spirit of building connections, the VML Voice is pleased to offer this four-part series of podcasts recorded during the 2021 Annual Conference held Oct. 3-5, 2021 at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg.

Hosts:

• Jon Stehle – VML President and Councilmember for the City of Fairfax

Guests:

• Kathy Lawson – Mayor, City of Martinsville

Connections start with conversations and VML’s Annual Conference is one of the best places for local government leaders in Virginia to share stories, trade experiences and build connections. In the spirit of building connections, the VML Voice is pleased to offer this four-part series of podcasts recorded during the 2021 Annual Conference held Oct. 3-5, 2021 at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg.

Hosts:

• Jon Stehle – VML President and Councilmember for the City of Fairfax

Guests:

• Leslie Hager-Smith – Mayor, Town of Blacksburg

Connections start with conversations and VML’s Annual Conference is one of the best places for local government leaders in Virginia to share stories, trade experiences and build connections. In the spirit of building connections, the VML Voice is pleased to offer this four-part series of podcasts recorded during the 2021 Annual Conference held Oct. 3-5, 2021 at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg.

Hosts:

• Jon Stehle – VML President and Councilmember for the City of Fairfax

Guests:

• Kaj Dentler – Town Manager, Town of Leesburg