Local Gov Life

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Local Gov Life - S04 Episode 03: How to Best Your Budget May 22, 2019

Show notes

It takes a lot of courage to manage a local government. Between elected officials, your staff, and your residents, deliverables and expectations need to be managed with a level of complexity that can intimidate many. Fortunately, ICMA has tons of resources on how to make the best decision for your community- including the expertise of our members.

In this episode of Local Gov Life, we talk to some ICMA members who discuss resilience in the face of The Great Recession, offer some advice on transparency with your elected officials, and share stories that remind us that you aren’t in this alone. If you’ve ever had to make a tough decision when it came to budgets and contracts, this is one episode you won’t want to miss. Give it a listen and check out some ICMA resources meant to help navigate you through the budgeting process without a scratch.

About ICMA

ICMA’s vision is to be the leading association of local government professionals dedicated to creating and supporting thriving communities throughout the world. We do this by working with our more than 12, 000 members to identify and speed the adoption of leading local government practices to improve the lives of residents. ICMA offers membership, professional development programs, research, publications, data and information, technical assistance, and training to thousands of city, town, and county chief administrative officers, their staffs, and other organizations throughout the world. Find out more about ICMA, and the profession, at our website: http://www.icma.org

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Local Gov Life - S04 Episode 02: Civic Service: A Love Story Apr 09, 2019

Show notes

For those of us in public service, it can feel like the weight of the world rests on your shoulders. With an unending mission of providing essential services to all reaches of our local populations, it’s good to know that there’s a helpful group of residents ready to get their hands a little dirty- literally.

In this episode of Local Gov Life, we sat down with a handful of ICMA Members at our 2018 Annual Conference to weigh in on volunteerism and provide some useful tips on how you can start building a successful volunteer program in your community.

Discussing some of the programs volunteers in their communities have assisted with, how to keep them engaged, and knowing when to take a step back, we promise this episode is worth a listen (or two, or four). If you’ve been looking for ways to get your residents active and volunteering, this is one podcast you won’t want to miss.

About ICMA

Local Gov Life - S04 Episode 01: Learn as a Mentee, Be a Mentor, and Pay It Forward Jan 29, 2019

Show notes

ICMA’s history is rooted in the sharing of best practices among local government managers. From practical guidance, to the more ephemeral, a good mentor can provide the advice you need when you need it most. They can even help you think outside of the box, and approach issues in an innovative way. So, when asked to share stories of their own mentoring experience, these ICMA members had plenty to share.

In this episode, we caught up with some ICMA members at the 104th ICMA Annual Conference in Baltimore to learn what it means to be a good mentor, and some of the most valuable ways that you can pay it forward. Take a listen and see what lessons you can take home to become a more present, equitable, and influential mentor in your community, and beyond.

About ICMA

Local Gov Life - S03 Episode 05: A Relationship Built on Trust Nov 07, 2018

Show notes

In this episode of “Making a Difference,” Chris Clark, a city council member from Mountain View, California, shares his perspectives on how professional local government managers can make the job easier for elected officials by bringing a high level of expertise and experience to the oversight of their communities. Councilmember Clark also discusses how the involvement of a professional manager helped Mountain View navigate a series of tough decisions during the 2008 financial crisis.

About ICMA

Local Gov Life - S03 Episode 04: Bertha Henry Believes There is Nothing More Rewarding Than Public Service Aug 01, 2018

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It has been quite a year for Bertha Henry, county administrator of Broward County, Florida. She received ICMA’s Award for Career Excellence at last year’s ICMA Annual Conference and Governing magazine named Henry a Public Official of the Year. But those who know her are not surprised. Her passion for the people she serves and the profession of local government management drives her to make a difference “day in and day out,” as she says. In this podcast, Henry talks about the challenges her community has faced—from natural disasters to the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida—and how it has brought people together. She also discusses why she believes it is important to serve in a leadership capacity in local government, “to lift all in the community you have to help shape public policy.”

About ICMA

Local Gov Life - S03 Episode 03: The Rewards of Adopting the Council-Manager Form of Government Jul 12, 2018

Show notes

In 2009, a citizens' group known as VoteCM'09 in Bainbridge Island, Washington, bid to adopt the council-manager form of government. The group was led by Dr. Robert Fortner, a retired kidney specialist turned activist. Fortner, alongside several other Bainbridge Island residents, was instrumental in bringing the council-manager form of government to the city. Residents successfully adopted council management with 71 percent of voters approving the change.

Nine years later, ICMA sat down with Fortner for the latest episode of ICMA's Local Gov Life: Making a Difference, where they discuss the transition from the previous structure. They talk about how the relationship works between the city manager, Doug Schulze, and elected officials, as well as how the city is now light years ahead of what it used to be prior to being a council-manager form of government.

About ICMA

Local Gov Life - S03 Episode 02: Local Government - It's a Rewarding Profession Jun 15, 2018

Show notes

For four decades, Carl Valente has served local and state governments throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, while also serving five years as financial management director of ICMA. For the past 13 years, Valente has served as the town manager of Lexington, Massachusetts, a town that is celebrated as the site of the first shots of the American Revolutionary War in the Battle of Lexington in 1775. Valente notes in the podcast that this moment in history has an impact on the community to this very day.

In this episode of Making A Difference, Valente briefly touches on why he chose the local government management profession - and it came down to three things: 1) a call to public service made by President John F. Kennedy; 2) local government management principles and how important they were to running a local organization; and 3) exposure to policy aspects of government. And after a long career, Valente, who is set to retire in August 2018, credits his longevity to proficiency, keeping up with the changes, creating a professional development plan for himself, working hard to connect with residents, and focusing on what's important to the residents - not what's important to you.

About ICMA

Local Gov Life - United Front Episode 06: Julie Underwood Won’t Let Fear Get in the Way May 31, 2018

Show notes

Julie Underwood, city manager of Mercer Island, Washington, has been the first woman and the first person of color in not one, but two, communities. “It seems silly but I thought if I fail, they’ll never hire another woman…another person of color again,” she said. She shared an anecdote about a councilmember remembering a woman who left a job to spend more time with her family. “He wanted to know if I would do the same thing,” Underwood said. Her manager asked the councilmember whether he would have asked that same question of a man. “He was mortified,” she said. “Unconscious bias. It happens all the time.”

In this final episode of LocalGov Life, United Front, Underwood describes her career, her philosophy on finding mentors, and how she manages the “second shift.” With three children at home and a demanding career, Underwood stressed how she and her spouse team up on most family responsibilities and how she outsources some of the household chores. She also gives some great advice on how to have those difficult gender bias conversations in a positive way.

About ICMA

Local Gov Life - S03 Episode 01: Jane Brautigam Explains How She "Fell in Love" with Local Government May 02, 2018

Show notes

Jane Brautigam has been city manager of Boulder, Colorado, since 2008 and is the first woman manager in the city's 90-plus-year history. Brautigam started out in the legal profession and then engaged with local government to eventually become manager of one of the most beloved and recognizable cities in the United States. In this episode of “Making a Difference," (powered by Capella University), Brautigam discusses how she "fell in love" with local government, as well as the challenges of diversifying a community and creating more affordable housing. She also discusses what being a professional local government manager means to her.

About ICMA

Local Gov Life - United Front Episode 05: Chris Volkers Gives Back to the Next Generation May 01, 2018

Show notes

After a 26-year career in court administration in Minnesota and California, Chris Volkers became the first female city manager of Moorhead, Minnesota. Volkers said she is proud that Moorhead is a community run mostly by women in leadership roles. “We all work well together; we each bring our own talents to our roles.”

In this podcast, Volkers talks about the advice she received when she was starting out in her career—listen first before you speak—and says she gives advice now to young women beginning their careers. She advises anyone in the middle of their careers to reach out and help the next generation of managers. “I am so proud of those relationships,” she says of the mentoring experiences she has shared with students and others who have asked her advice.

One thing Volkers admits she has been guilty of is to feel the need to “do it all.” She advises “Ask for help! The mother, wife, executive female doesn’t have to be the only one who takes the kids to the doctor.” She says that she and her husband often talk through workloads and split up the duties.

As for who her #SheLeadsGov mentors are: “Any woman who has the courage to go for what she wants. Women everywhere are amazing.”

About ICMA

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