GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government - Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL)

Latest Episodes:

#727 A Data Center in Every Community with Christopher Jordan, National League of Cities May 08, 2026

Show notes

Christopher Jordan, AI and Innovation Program Manager for the National League of Cities, joined the podcast to talk about data centers. He shared the responses he has seen from citizens to data centers coming to their communities. He discussed the benefits that local governments are trying to extract from data center projects to make these deals more palatable. He also shared advice to local leaders deciding whether to allow a data center in their community.

Host: Toney Thompson

#726 Elevate Boulder and Guaranteed Income Programs with Jamie Hackbarth and Elizabeth Crowe May 01, 2026

Show notes

Two guests joined the podcast to talk about guaranteed income programs. Jamie Hackbarth is a Senior Program Manager at AidKit and Elizabeth Crowe is the Deputy Director of Housing and Human Services at City of Boulder, Colorado. They shared what a direct cash assistance program is and the desired outcomes of the program. They also discussed the Elevate Boulder guaranteed income program and success stories from the program.

Host: Lauren Palmer

#725 Making Digital Government Accessible with Rebecca Bond and Kristin Stitcher Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

Two guests joined the podcast to talk about making digital government accessible. Rebecca Bond and Kristin Stitcher are both former Civil Rights Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice. They shared a brief history of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and examples of how web content and mobile apps are designed that can be difficult for people with disabilities to navigate. They also discussed new rules regarding web accessibility and how local governments can comply with them.

Host: Toney Thompson

#724 Gen Z in the Local Government Workplace with Emma Roniger and Jill Parsons Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

Two guests pursuing their Master's of Public Administration at the University of Kansas joined the podcast to talk about Gen Z in local government. Emma Roniger is a Management Intern for the League of Kansas Municipalities and Jill Parsons is a Management Intern for the City of Leawood, Kansas. They shared the biggest myth local governments have about their generation and responses they received for a survey regarding Gen Z. They also talked about how different generations can work together.

Host: Meredith Reynolds

#723 Allyship and Building Connection, Adrianna Tušek Erickson, Chandler, AZ Apr 10, 2026

Show notes

Adrianna Tušek Erickson, Connection & Impact Program Coordinator for the City of Chandler, Arizona, joined the podcast to talk about connection and belonging. She discussed the importance of serving all residents in the community and why allyship is important. She shared the impact that changes from the Federal government have had her work. She also talked about the transition of reentering the workforce after a ten year break.

Host: Ben Kittelson

#722 Public Communications and Building Trust in Rural Communities with Nick Lemmer, Goodhue County, MN Apr 03, 2026

Show notes

Nick Lemmer, Outreach & Communications Specialist for Goodhue County, Minnesota joined the podcast to discuss public communications. He talked about the challenge and importance of building trust in rural communities. He shared rebranding projects from his past position, communicating cost shifts in reduced federal funding, and public communication related to data centers.

Host: Lauren Palmer

#721 How Participatory Mapping Can Transform Your Community with Emma Falkenstein, Highland Planning Mar 27, 2026

Show notes

Emma Falkenstein, Associate Planner at Highland Planning joined the podcast to discuss participatory mapping. She talked about community walk audits and how can local governments can incorporate walk audits into their regular planning procedures. She also talked about the value of community relationships as it relates to shaping where people live.

Host: Toney Thompson

#720 Making Government Smarter with Cori Zarek, Apolitical Mar 20, 2026

Show notes

Cori Zarek, Vice President for North America at Apolitical joined the podcast to talk about her career in public interest technology and helping make government smarter. She shared how Apolitical is working to support peer learning among government staffers and a recent report they published on 50 states, 50 breakthroughs from organizations across the country. She also discussed the trends and insights they have found in how government staffers are using artificial intelligence and how organizations can support their staff.

Host: Meredith Reynolds

#719 Healthcare Marketplaces and Local Government with Chachi Angelo, Pennie Mar 13, 2026

Show notes

Chachi Angelo, Director of External Affairs at Pennie, the State of Pennsylvania's Health Insurance Marketplace, joined the podcast to discuss how state healthcare marketplaces and local governments are interconnected. He shared what the healthcare marketplace does and how residents interact with it, how municipalities partner with Pennie during enrollment periods, and how to communicate in a way that builds trust at the local level.

Host: Marissa Baum

#718 State of Behavioral Science in Government with Joseph Sherlock, King's College London Mar 06, 2026

Show notes

Joseph Sherlock, Assistant Professor of Behavioral Science and Public Policy at King's College London, joined the podcast to discuss the state of behavioral science in government. He talked about what is behavioral science and examples of how it has been applied in the public sector. Then he shared how the field is evolving and the importance of running experiments in your organization.

Host: Toney Thompson

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