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

Latest Episodes:

Best of: Employee Onboarding Best Practices with Benjamin Mead-Harvey Aug 01, 2025

Show notes

This week we're sharing one of our favorite interviews from the GovLove archive. This episode originally aired in August 2021 and is all about successful employee onboarding.

Benjamin Mead-Harvey, Instructional Designer for the Arizona Department of Economic Security, came back to the podcast to discuss onboarding. He shared tips on how to improve in three areas: welcome elements, training with the team, and onboarding check-in meetings. He also talked about the outcomes of onboarding that employers should be looking for and the details that matter for employees.

Host: Kirsten Wyatt

#687 Starting as a New County Manager and Building Culture with Josh Edwards, York County, SC Jul 25, 2025

Show notes

Josh Edwards, County Manager for York County, South Carolina, rejoined the podcast to discuss starting as a new County Manager. He shared why he chose York County and the challenges of a fast growing community. He discussed the process to develop the County's first strategic plan and the employee-driven core values for the organization. He also reflected on local government trends from the last 10 years.

Host: Ben Kittelson

#686 From the Fire House to the City Manager's Office with Bryan Dehner and Donna Lake Jul 18, 2025

Show notes

Two guests joined the podcast to talk about the their transition from the Fire Department to the City Manager's Office. Bryan Dehner is the Assistant City Manager at the City of Overland Park, Kansas and Donna Lake is the Assistant City Manager at City of Lee's Summit, Missouri. They shared how they facilitated the transition, how the departments operate differently, and the importance of working regionally.

Host: Lauren Palmer

#685 10 Years of Local Government Stories with GovLove Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

Join the GovLove co-hosts as they celebrate GovLove turning 10 years old! It has somehow been 10 years of sharing local government stories from across the country. The co-hosts reflected on those years and the growth of the podcast and then shared their hot takes for what local government will be like when GovLove turns 20 years old.

We want to hear from you! What do you think local government will look like in 10 years? Call the GovLove hotline and tell us (720) 282-1752‬. Your answer will be used in a future episode.

Hosts: Ben Kittelson, Lauren Palmer, Dan Bolin, Rafael Baptista, and Meredith Reynolds

#684 Fellowships and Lead for North Carolina with Dylan Russell, UNC School of Government Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

Dylan Russell, the Executive Director of Lead for North Carolina and Faculty Lead for Public Service Matters at the UNC School of Government, joined the podcast to talk about connecting young leaders to local government service. He shared his experience starting Lead for America and placing recent graduates in fellowships. He also discussed how local governments can support and retain talent as well as how local government and prospective fellows can get involved in the fellowship program.

Host: Meredith Reynolds

#683 Performance Excellence and Building a Premier Community with Polly Walker, Henderson, NV Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

Polly Walker, Director of Organizational Performance and Innovation for the City of Henderson, Nevada joined the podcast to discuss the City's achievement of earning the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. She talked about why the City chose to go after the award, building buy-in to the journey, and the organizational changes the process led to. She also shared her journey from entry level employee to department director, the City's emphasis on customer service, and how the City is still striving for excellence.

Host: Ben Kittelson

#682 Data Analysis and Artificial Intelligence with Rochelle Haynes and Carrie Bishop Jun 13, 2025

Show notes

Two guests joined the podcast to talk about the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification program. Rochelle Haynes is the Managing Director for What Works Cities Certification at Results for America and Carrie Bishop serves as Data Initiative Lead for the Government Innovation Program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. They shared examples of local government problems solved through data analysis, what can hold cities back in their data journey and use cases for artificial intelligence in local government.

Host: Lauren Palmer

#681 Public Service and Responsive Government with Brooks Williams, Ferris, TX Jun 06, 2025

Show notes

Brooks Williams, City Manager for the City of Ferris, Texas joined the podcast to discuss his passion for public service and building a responsive government. He shared how he transformed the City of Ferris into a results-driven local government and how they measure operating efficiency. He discussed his thought provoking LinkedIn posts on local government leadership and public service. He shared his views on the role of local governments in tragedy and the importance of community.

Host: Ben Kittelson

#680 Coaching Those Who Lead Our Communities with Kellye Mazzoli, City Boss Coaching May 30, 2025

Show notes

Kellye Mazzoli, Founder & City Executive Coach at City Boss Coaching joined the podcast to discuss coaching those who lead our communities. She shared her transition from local government to coaching, what her coaching sessions entail, and how she stays up to date with the local government industry and how she keeps her edge to provide services to your clients.

Host: Meredith Reynolds

#679 Land Use Planning and Residential Segregation with Scott Markley, National Zoning Atlas May 23, 2025

Show notes

Scott Markley, Research Director for the National Zoning Atlas joined the podcast to discuss land use planning and residential segregation. He shared the Connecticut origins of the National Zoning Atlas, what the data is telling us, and how communities can utilize the atlas.

This episode was recorded at the Missouri City-County Management Association 2025 Annual Conference.

Host: Lauren Palmer

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