AuthentiCity FM | Real Stories. Bold Ideas. Better Communities.

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AuthentiCity FM, Episode 28: Noticing, Naming, and Now What Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

You survived the disruption. You built the resilience. And somewhere between the council meetings and the 11 PM emails you didn't have to send, something started to stir.

That's where episode 28 begins. Not with a crisis, but with a question. What happens when local government leaders stop white-knuckling it through the Fourth Turning and start actually noticing what's happening around them? Not the chaos, not the politics, not the revenue shortfalls. Something quieter. Something in them.

We turn the corner from the resilience arc into new territory, that threshold moment when surviving becomes something more. We dig into the difference between pattern matching and pattern recognition, why experience can become inertia just as easily as wisdom, and what it actually costs to keep rewarding endurance over effectiveness. The unspoken status competitions of local government are on the table, and nobody flinches.

The conversation gets real when we talk about what happens when someone finally names the thing in the room and the air changes. A 25-city coalition that didn't form because somebody found the old playbook. Leaders looking sideways, finding each other, saying grab my hand. Stories from the field that land harder than expected. And a vision of mesh networks, meaning over metrics, and the ground game of genuine connection that reframes what leadership infrastructure might actually look like going forward.

This episode doesn't hand you a framework. It hands you a mirror. And then it asks the question the whole season has been building toward. You've been noticing, you've been naming. Now what are you going to do with what you see?

Episode 29 teaser. When you're finally present, you start noticing who else is awake. And that changes everything.

00:00 Navigating Chaos and Finding Agency

02:23 The Power of Noticing and Naming

05:08 Shifting Perspectives on Local Government

07:48 The Role of Collaboration in Uncertain Times

10:48 Breaking Old Patterns and Embracing Change

13:41 The Future of Local Government Services

16:44 Building Stronger Community Connections

19:45 The Importance of Authenticity and Vulnerability

22:22 Rethinking Urgency and Influence

25:29 Creating Safe Spaces for Honest Conversations

27:58 The Value of Meaning Over Status

30:51 The Journey Towards Personal and Professional Growth

34:03 The Impact of Connection on Well-being

36:44 The Role of Courage in Leadership

39:42 Embracing Change and New Opportunities

42:34 The Power of Community Support

45:34 Looking Ahead: The Next Steps for Local Government

AuthentiCity FM, Episode 27: Belonging, Becoming, and Building with Pam Davis Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

#localgovernment #citymanagement #resilience

Some people find their way into local government. Pam Davis knew exactly why she was going there, and then spent her career making sure others didn't have to find that path alone.

Assistant City Manager in Boulder, Colorado, Pam brings one of the most distinctive origin stories we've heard. From teenage activist to Capitol Hill intern to the realization that local government was already quietly saving the lives of people she cared most about. That clarity of purpose has never wavered. What's evolved is everything else.

This episode follows that arc. Belonging, becoming, and building. How you find your people in a profession that doesn't always make that easy. How you grow into the version of yourself you were always capable of being. And what you do once you realize you can create the spaces you once desperately needed.

The conversation also goes somewhere this podcast doesn't shy away from anymore. The weight that local government professionals carry into the work. The unthinkable moments that arrive without warning, the personal losses that don't pause for the job, the frozen seconds before instinct kicks in. The cumulative effect is a reminder of what this profession actually asks of people, and who it asks them to be.

Is that who you've always been, or did you grow into it?

00:00 Introduction to Authenticity FM and Guest Introduction

02:57 Pam's Journey into Local Government

09:03 Career Path and Experiences in Local Government

22:13 The Birth of Civic Pride

28:22 Creating Change in Local Government

34:24 Reflections on Career and Future Aspirations

39:47 Resilience and Personal Growth

44:18 Navigating Personal and Professional Challenges

49:24 The Weight of Public Service

56:07 The Importance of Community Engagement

57:53 Serving the Profession and Community

01:01:28 Lightening the Mood: A Fun Lightning Round

01:05:14 Reflections on the Podcast Journey

AuthentiCity FM, Episode 26: Roots, Readiness, and Rancho Cucamonga with Elisa Cox Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

There's a difference between being ready and being prepared. Ready means you've checked the boxes. Prepared means you've lived in the questions long enough to know which ones matter.

This conversation explores what it takes to step into a role everyone assumes you have completely figured out. The shift from colleague to leader when you stay in the same organization. The marathon-level exhaustion that comes from nowhere after council meetings. The honest conversation about whether you and your partner are willing to carry the weight together. The three or four years of watching, learning, and building capacity before the seat opens up.

The discussion moves through culture building that allows babies and dogs at work. Through throwing out annual evaluations and replacing them with development plans where employees drive their own growth. Through policies designed for the 99% doing things right instead of the 1% doing things wrong. Through merit pay disconnected from performance conversations. Through networks that kept sanity intact during COVID by connecting people across the country dealing with the same challenges in different ways.

It explores what happens when you're not a jumper. When you stay rooted long enough to understand a community deeply before leading it. When you get to put your fingerprints on policies years before you sit in the chair. When transition feels natural because preparation happened quietly over time. When the exhaustion still surprises you even though you thought you knew what was coming.

This episode asks what readiness actually requires. Not just skills or experience, but relationships, honest conversations, support systems, and the willingness to train for a role with no guarantees you'll get it. It's about stacking conditions that make success possible without promising it. It's about finding like-minded people willing to be vulnerable and still show up as leaders.

The work of becoming ready doesn't start when you get the job. It starts years before when you decide it's worth preparing for.

00:00 Introduction to Resilience in Leadership

02:03 Elisa Cox: Journey to City Manager

03:44 Transitioning into Leadership

07:12 Building a Cohesive Management Team

10:01 Embracing the High-Performance Organization Model

12:47 Redefining Strategic Plans

14:49 Impact of Leadership ICMA on Professional Growth

17:16 Innovating Employee Evaluations

21:59 The Importance of Employee Development

25:41 Finding Resilience Through Disruption

26:56 Personal Strategies for Stress Management

32:11 The Importance of Sleep and Mental Health

34:03 Strength Training and Personal Growth

36:01 Exploring Professional Superpowers

42:05 The Loneliness of Leadership

43:44 Normalizing Vulnerability in Management

51:20 ICMA Insights and Future Directions

AuthentiCityFM, Episode 25: Reality, Resilience, and Rhythm Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

#citymanagement #leadership #localgovernment

Work has always been hard. But something shifted. Now it's harder to tell what's real and what's just amplified noise. Harder to know what deserves urgency and what's anxiety talking. Harder to find solid ground when everything keeps moving.

This episode opens a new conversation about resilience. Not the grit-your-teeth-and-power-through kind. The kind that helps you stay oriented when the professional landscape feels like standing on a Pogo ball while drinking from a fire hose.

The conversation explores funhouse mirrors and how distortion makes it harder to trust what you're seeing. Echo chambers that amplify what you already want to hear. The exhaustion of showing up every day when clarity of purpose has disappeared. The choice between short-term pain and long-term consequences when neither option feels good.

From what normal used to mean to what grounds you now. Walking dogs. Reading books. Making dinner. The small rhythms that anchor you when everything else spins. The anxiety visible on faces across this profession. The admission that knowing what to do next isn't as clear as it used to be. The experience of having already survived professional rupture while watching others go through theirs.

This episode doesn't offer solutions. It offers something more honest. Recognition that it's hard right now. Permission to acknowledge that maybe it will be hard tomorrow too. And a preview of where the conversation heads next—building the skills and tools to handle what gets thrown your way before the crisis hits.

The ideology inherited from previous generations said if you're just loyal and work harder, everything works out. That's not true anymore. Change isn't going anywhere. Learning to be adaptable and resilient means learning what to say yes to and what to let go of carefully.

January was disruption. February moves into resilience and what comes after. This is where that shift begins.

00:00 Introduction to Resilience and Community Dynamics

08:50 Navigating Distortion and Echo Chambers

19:00 The Impact of Anxiety on Decision Making

26:37 Finding Balance Amidst Chaos

27:24 Navigating Anxiety and Nostalgia

28:42 The Impact of COVID on Mental Health

32:39 Finding Resilience in Chaos

34:29 Permission to Pause and Reflect

35:28 The Guilt of Taking Breaks

37:36 The Role of Consistency in Leadership

40:11 Learning from the Past

41:12 Generational Shifts in Leadership

44:39 The Drive to Make Things Better

49:14 Community and Change

51:32 The Pain of Change

55:19 Building Resilience for the Future

AuthentiCity FM, Episode 24: Stewardship, Potential, and the Next Generation with Melissa Ochoa and Micah Eradiri Feb 03, 2026

Show notes

#LocalGovernment #Leadership #Stewardship #PublicService #GenX #GenZ

The future of local government doesn't start tomorrow. It's already here.

Melissa Ochoa and Micah Eradiri are ICMA Local Government Management Fellows just starting their careers in public service. They're curious, grounded, service-driven, and already leading. They're also watching everything Gen X is building right now. Our messes and our masterpieces. Our innovation. Our inertia. Our courage. Our comfort.

This conversation closes out January's disruption series by shifting from signals and systems to stewardship. The question isn't what we're handing off to the next generation. It's whether we're creating space for them to step into it.

Our guests share stories spanning fellowship applications to immigration challenges. From perspectives that get mislabeled to accelerated degree programs that prioritize education over experience. From the difference between mentorship that opens doors and gatekeeping that keeps them closed.

Phil closes with a reminder that feels both heavy yet hopeful. These future leaders are the carriers of democracy. The council-manager form of government is one of America's greatest contributions to democratic governance, and wherever these two land, they carry that tradition forward. They're going to change the world. We just need to give them the room to prove it.

This episode is for anyone who's ever needed someone to believe in them. It's for anyone hiring the next generation who has the power to measure potential over credentials. It's for anyone wondering whether Gen Z is ready, when the real question is whether we're ready to trust them with what we've built.

00:00 Introduction to Stewardship and Local Government

01:44 Guest Introductions and Local Government Origin Stories

04:54 The ICMA Fellowship Experience

08:51 Surprises in Local Government

14:28 Theory vs. Practice in Local Government

21:56 Motivations for Entering Local Government

28:35 Future Aspirations and Professional Development

34:00 Personal Interests and Work-Life Balance

42:42 The Future of Local Government and AI

46:28 The Future of AI in Note-Taking

49:33 AI's Impact on Communication

55:42 Balancing Technology and Human Interaction

59:24 Mentorship and Career Development

01:12:00 Generational Perspectives in Local Government

01:21:52 Opportunities for Recent Graduates

AuthentiCity FM, Episode 23: Foresight, Signals, and Steering Into What's Next with Rebecca Ryan Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

#citymanagement #localgovernment #disruption

Your water treatment plant turns 100 next year. The price tag to replace it is terrifying. So you patch it together for five more years and kick the decision down the road. Again.

Most local governments don't have good hygiene around thinking futuristically. We copy and paste last year's budget. We make trade-offs that benefit the generation sitting at the table. We plan for hardscape but ignore softscape. We focus on bridges and greenways while social structures crumble and residents feel less engaged, not more.

Rebecca Ryan is a futurist and economist who spent her career helping communities see around corners. She joins us to talk about weak signals, black ice, and the frameworks that help you distinguish between noise and what actually matters. From her mom running for office in Wisconsin to studying demographics and patterns to earning her foresight certification during the Great Recession, Rebecca brings both heart and head to this work.

The conversation moves from intergenerational equity to granny hobbies. From the speed of adaptive learning in AI networks to why more people are deleting social media for their mental health. From the student who wants to build bike paths that give those with accessibility limitations independence to why local government might finally get boring again. Rebecca teaches us how to ask better questions. Not what to look for, but how to look for it. Not what's in your budget, but what's in your strategic plan that would surprise people.

We dig into why technology keeps coming, whether we're ready or not. Why the correct response to black ice is steering into it, not pumping the brakes. Why de-centering yourself and centering the next generation might be some of the best work we get to do. And why this generation of leaders was actually built for this moment, even when it feels like slipping.

The future isn't something that happens to you. It's something you build. Rebecca shows us how to see the signals, steer into what's coming, and remember that progress requires thoughtful change, not just clinging to tradition because it feels safe.

If you've ever wondered whether local government can think long term, or if you're exhausted from the whack-a-mole chaos and just want things to get boring again, this conversation offers both frameworks and hope. The kids really are the magic key. We just have to give them the paths to get there.

00:00 Introduction to Authenticity FM

02:16 Rebecca Ryan's Journey into Local Government Consulting

05:47 Understanding the Future: The Role of a Futurist

08:30 Navigating Local Government Challenges

11:47 The Importance of Long-Term Thinking in Governance

15:21 Embracing Change and Innovation in Local Government

17:59 The Future of Local Government Funding Models

21:24 Rethinking Budgeting Practices

24:35 Engaging the Next Generation in Local Government

26:37 Balancing Tradition and Innovation

30:35 The Role of Managers in Driving Change

32:25 Signals of Change in Local Government

34:22 Rebuilding Social Capital in Communities

37:37 Civic Engagement and Education

41:07 Winter is Coming: Reflections on Change

43:48 Social Media: Expectations vs. Reality

50:35 Signals for the Future

53:24 The Importance of Legacy

01:05:31 Intergenerational Equity and Community Building

AuthentiCity FM, Episode 22: Process Intelligence and Making the Invisible Visible with Jerry Driessen Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

#citymanagement #disruption #processintelligence

Your organization runs on invisible processes. Purchase orders that skip protocol. Approval chains scattered across three different systems. Workarounds that became standard practice so long ago nobody remembers there was ever another way. You know things aren't efficient. You can feel the friction. But you can't fix what you can't see.

Jerry Driessen is a data nerd and former CIO of Hennepin County and CTO of San Jose, who spent 30 years doing change management from the inside. Now he's working from the outside with process intelligence technology, and he's convinced the disruption potential has finally caught up to what systems thinkers have been trying to do manually for years.

This isn't another dashboard showing what happened last quarter. Not another consultant asking you to map workflows with sticky notes on conference room walls for six hours. Process intelligence creates a digital twin of how work actually flows through your organization. Procurement leaks, invoice systems involving five teams across four platforms, the real path money takes from requisition to payment. It shows you exactly where the breakdowns happen and what it's costing you.

The conversation moves from Charles Lindblom's "science of muddling through" to technology that lets you see the muddling in real time. From bounded rationality and satisficing to understanding the full system. From hoping people follow the process to actually seeing whether they do. Jerry talks candidly about why he made the leap to Celonis after three decades in government, what happens when you can finally see inefficiencies you've been living with, and the privacy considerations that come with making the invisible visible.

We dig into whether this technology amplifies what's already broken or creates space for something better. Whether trust and transparency matter more than dashboards. Whether understanding your processes is efficiency theater or genuine stewardship. And why local government might be the level where innovation actually takes root when you can see clearly enough to act.

We're still balancing on that pogo ball from Episode 21. But now we're talking about actually seeing the ball, the surface beneath it, and every wobble in real time. You can't navigate what you can't see. Process intelligence changes what you can see and what you choose to do about it.

00:00 Introduction to Disruption and Episode Guest

02:10 Jerry's Career Journey and Insights

05:35 Transitioning from Government to Consulting

07:20 Understanding Process Intelligence

11:07 The Role of AI in Process Mapping

14:03 Invisible Systems and Their Impact

14:56 AI's Role in Government Efficiency

18:58 Challenges in Government Technology Implementation

22:09 Embracing AI in Local Government

25:01 Balancing Efficiency and Public Service

27:43 Navigating Bureaucratic Challenges

30:58 The Importance of Transparency in Government

33:32 Building a Technology-Driven Culture

38:55 The Future of AI in Government

42:43 The Need for Systemic Change

49:05 Overcoming Resistance to Change

51:15 Hope for Increased Public Engagement

53:04 Final Thoughts and Resources

AuthentiCity FM, Episode 21: Systems, Signals, and Stewards Jan 13, 2026

Show notes

#localgovernment #leadership #disruption

You can't balance on a pogo ball standing still. That's the problem. We keep waiting for things to stabilize so we can find our footing, but static balance doesn't exist anymore. Welcome to 2026, the year of the fire horse. Intense energy, boldness, freedom, transformation, and a pace that doesn't slow down for anyone still trying to plan three steps ahead.

This isn't disruption. Disruption implies something temporary, something you survive and move past. We're living in post-disruption reality now, locked in what Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen at Axios call "the fastest, broadest, most consequential reordering of politics, tech, and business of our lifetimes." The guideposts we used to look up to for direction? They're gone. We're the guideposts now.

So how do you lead when you literally don't know what tomorrow brings? When the profession built on planfulness and looking twenty steps down the road enters a zone where breaking things to see what happens has become the operating principle?

There's a grounding truth that matters. There's no partisan way to flush a sewer. Regardless of what's swirling above us, we're the stewards of making things work. Rec programming still runs. Libraries stay open. We do the basic stuff that keeps communities functioning, even when chaos reigns everywhere else.

This episode kicks off our January series exploring what leadership looks like when balance requires constant motion. Ahead this month we'll explore systems that drive organizational change, signals worth following versus noise worth ignoring, and our role as stewards of the next generation inheriting whatever we build (or break) right now.

The pogo ball doesn't wait for you to feel ready. You move or you fall. We're choosing to move.

00:00 Welcome to Disruption: A New Year Begins

02:49 The Pogo Ball Analogy: Balancing Disruption

05:49 Navigating Leadership in Uncertain Times

09:03 Creating Stability Amidst Chaos

11:50 The Role of Community in Coherence

14:52 Grounding in Tactile Experiences

17:47 Revisiting the Basics of Local Government

20:36 Trust and Disruption in Local Governance

23:55 The Impact of Technology on Community Trust

26:24 The Importance of Listening in Leadership

29:31 Reassessing Local Government's Role

32:38 The Future of Local Government and Data Centers

35:03 The Courage to Question 'Why'

38:28 Preparing for the Future: Systems and Signals

40:42 The Journey Ahead: Embracing Change

Authenticity FM, Episode 20: Communities Raise Families with Mike Land Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

#localgovernment #citymanagement #publicservice

Mike Land didn't choose city management. City management chose him. From affordable housing boards in the 1980s to serving as ICMA President today, Mike's career reflects a commitment to service, mentorship, and gratitude. In this conversation, he shares the unconventional path that led him to leadership, why he believes communities raise families together, and what a palm reading predicted when he was sixteen years old.

Phil and Corri talk with Mike about bypassing traditional career routes, giving back to the profession through association service, and why the hardest times are still blessings. They explore the realities of raising kids while managing cities, the power of showing up when you're not on the committee, and what it takes to listen to 14,000 members during three years of COVID disruption.

This episode digs into resilience, the gratitude that sustains leaders through crisis, and why being part of a community means you're at church, at the store, at the park, in the school—not just sitting in an office. Mike brings warmth, wisdom, and the reminder that sometimes the profession finds you exactly when you need it to.

00:00 Introduction and Background of Mike Land

05:41 Mike's Journey into Local Government

10:42 Leadership and Service in Professional Organizations

17:32 Navigating Challenges During COVID-19

25:35 The Ethos of Gratitude and Leadership

30:43 Building a Supportive Team and Culture

37:01 Exploring Global Connections in Local Governance

44:14 Building Trust and Community Engagement

51:53 Navigating Challenges in City Management

01:00:32 Personal Reflections and Future Aspirations

AuthentiCity FM, Episode 19: Pfinding the Pfun in Pfearless with Sereniah Breland Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

#LocalGov #Leadership #WomenInGov #CityManagement #AuthentiCityFM

Sometimes, the most honest conversations start with asking yourself if you're good enough to be in the room. This one starts with bobsleds and sourdough starters, then goes deep into the messy beauty of looking back while staying present.

Sereniah Breland, city manager of Pflugerville, Texas, opens up about imposter syndrome, hard rooms where people don't love you, and why she leans into every creative opportunity like turning budget presentations into Pfinance reports and making Tymo the drug dog the police chief photo in the city budget. She shares the moment on the Camino de Santiago when she realized presence matters more than perfection. Climbing the mountain, looking back at how far you've come, then staying grounded in the now is what leadership actually looks like.

This conversation explores what it means to lose a mentor who taught you to ground yourself with "INMC" (it's not my city), the promise to leave behind wisdom through letters to her nieces, and why grief teaches us the most about legacy. Sereniah shares core beliefs like "we see what we're programmed to see" and why being the person you mean to be matters more than being the person everyone expects.

There's talk of joy seeking and unexpected detours, the kind of wisdom that only comes from years of journaling through the really hard times, and what it means to be affable, feral, bold, unfiltered, and on the verge. Seven cities, one really long walk through Spain, and a whole lot of vulnerability later, Sereniah reminds us of what matters most.

Stay kind, stay steady, stay you.

Because you're not meant for every room, but you're absolutely meant for great rooms.

01:56 Meet Sereniah

03:30 The Importance of Vulnerability in Leadership

08:34 Mentorship and the Power of Community

11:44 Breaking Barriers: Women in Leadership

15:30 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

20:53 The Value of Taking a Sabbatical

24:30 Lessons from the Camino de Santiago

29:44 The Grasshopper Analogy: Taking Leaps of Faith

40:52 Transformative Career Journeys

42:04 Navigating Self-Doubt in Leadership