In this episode of Voices in Local Government, Phil Kiraly and Julia D. Novak, ICMA-CM answer the critical question at the heart of our profession: why council-manager government matters now more than ever. They discuss how ICMA's Future of Professional Management Fund supports advocacy and how to educate residents when defending and adopting council-manager government comes up on the ballot.
 

Key Takeaways:

• Why council-manager form of government is effective and how to best educate residents
• What is ICMA's Future of Professional Management Fund, what it's used for, and why it matters for members
• How a "team sport" approach of advocacy led to success defending council-manager government in Illinois
• Excitement to continue the conversation on form of government and more at ICMA Annual Conference
   

Featured Guests:

Phil Kiraly - ICMA-CM - village manager of Glencoe, Illinois

Julia D. Novak - ICMA-CM – CEO and executive director of ICMA
 

Voices in Local Government Podcast Hosts:

Joe Supervielle and Angelica Wedell

Resources:

ICMA's Future of Professional Management Fund

PM Magazine: Making Big Strides in Advocating for Council-Manager Government

ICMA Annual Conference, October 25-29 in Tampa. 

Key Takeaways for local government AI:

• Why policy might not be the best starting point... start doing!
• Get in the figurative sandbox and to play and test AI with small teams for real outcomes.
• Official policy documents and templates can be found (and copied!) via the GovAI Coalition.
   

Featured Guest:

Parth Shah – CEO and Co-Founder, Polimorphic
 

Voices in Local Government Podcast Hosts:

Joe Supervielle and Angelica Wedell

Resources:

ICMA Annual Conference, October 25-29 in Tampa. 

Multiple AI trainings on the ICMA Learning Lab.

AI policy, templates, and more tools from the GovAI Coalition

Voices in Local Gov Episode: GovAI Coalition -  Your Voice in Shaping the Future of AI

Key Takeaways for local government's emergency management and response:

• Best practices in governmental preparedness.
• How to address the entire community.
• Ways to leverage technology to enhance information management and situational awareness.
• Cooperation with FEMA.
• Implement actionable review and continuous improvement.

Featured Guest:

John Antapasis, Emergency Management Director, Fire Rescue, City of Tampa

Voices in Local Government Podcast Hosts:

Joe Supervielle and Angelica Wedell

Resources:

ICMA Recovery Resources

ICMA Annual Conference, October 25-29 in Tampa

Key Takeaways for local government's data and software:

• Be intentional during idea stage with disciplined winnowing.
• The difference between a platform and a tool - and what will best serve your needs.
• Sunk cost fallacy and resisting the urge to double down.

Featured Guest:

Raman Shah – Owner, Raman Shah Data Science

Connect with Raman on LinkedIn
 

Voices in Local Government Podcast Hosts

Joe Supervielle and Angelica Wedell

Resources

Learn more from Raman in his three-part blog series, Software Trouble.

ICMA Annual Conference, October 25-29 in Tampa. 

Key Takeaways for Retention and Workplace Wellness:

• How mental health impacts employee engagement, retention, and workplace culture
• Practical leadership strategies to create a mentally healthy environment
• What leaders, managers, and peers can do to support each other
• How local governments can address burnout—and prevent it from driving people away
   

Featured Guest:

Adrienne Wise – CEO of Wise Choice Counseling and Consulting Services; trauma-informed care consultant, emotional wellness expert, and global public speaker
 

Voices in Local Government Podcast Hosts:

Joe Supervielle and Angelica Wedell

Resources:

Mental health services from ICMA affinity partner, Cope Notes.

ICMA Annual Conference, October 25-29 in Tampa. With sessions on mental health in the workplace and more. Registration opens June 25.

Voices in Local Government: Mental Health Ask Me Anything with Johnny Crowder

Key Takeaways for Financial Resilience and Success: 

Proven strategies to improve financial resilience in your municipality 

How city managers and finance directors can best collaborate and work together 

Tools for long-range planning and adapting to new fiscal challenges 

Real examples of budget solutions that reflect community priorities 

Featured Speakers: 

Justin Marlowe – co-host of Public Money Pod, research professor at the University of Chicago, director of the Center for Municipal Finance 

Liz Farmer – co-host of Public Money Pod, award-winning journalist, and fiscal policy writer 

Dave Schmiedicke – finance director, City of Madison, WI; Former Wisconsin state budget director 

Will Jones – city administrator, Mequon, WI; president, Wisconsin City/County Management Association 

Whether you’re a city manager, budget officer, or just care about sound fiscal strategy, this episode offers practical tips to help you lead with financial resilience. 

Resources

Public Money Pod by the Center for Municipal Finance

ICMA: A Budgeting Guide for Local Government 3-Part Series

Julia D. Novak, ICMA-CM, CEO and executive director of ICMA

Joe Supervielle and Angelica Wedell
 

Welcome Voices in Local Government's New co-host, Angelica Wedell

Introduction and Understanding Change in Local Government

Strategies for Effective Change Management

Fostering Innovation

The Role of Supervisors

Advice for Local Government Leaders

Resources

ICMA Effective Supervisory Practices Training Series

Getting to Know Our New CEO/Executive Director, Julia D. Novak, ICMA-CM

Guest Information

Laura Savage, Senior Program Manager, ICMA
 

Topics

Assistant Chief Administrative Officer (ACAO) Development Series Overview

Career Progression and Development Opportunities

SheLeadsGov Virtual Forum Insights

Resources

The Essential ACAO Development Series: Building Your Path to Leadership Excellence

SheLeadsGov Virtual Forum | Innovate, Inspire, Impact

EP47 Local Gov Life Advice: Career Moves, Coworkers, and Council

Amanda Hesse, chief revenue officer, LCPtracker

Stephanie Ramos, customer success manager, LCPtracker
 

The Importance of Workforce Development and the impact on the local economy.

Real-World Examples of local government Workforce Initiatives.

Steps for Local Government Engagement.

Measuring Success.

Future Trends.

Resources

Workforce development program tracker

Case Study on the ROI of hiring local

Zhikun Liu, Ph.D., CFP®, vice president, head of MissionSquare Research Institute

 Gerald Young, senior researcher, MissionSquare Research Institute
 

Retirement 
Employee investment programs

Resources

MissionSquare Research Institute