An exploration into the organizations that define our society, and the individuals that lead them. We speak to local government innovators to understand how our future cities, towns and counties are being built in real-time, plus learn best practices on the strategy and vision that creates an effective government.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/9/24/5/355c0287-23a9-4ebc-ad2e-e0c2cd9c2da4_stephanie_williams_pre_auph.mp3

The City of Worcester is the second largest city in the entirety of New England, just behind Boston. With that size comes an incredible diversity - over a fifth of its residents were born outside the USA. Like all large American cities its spoils have not trickled down evenly, and not only is its median income $8000 less than the US average, but ethnic, historic and racial lines see big differences across demographics. Stephanie Williams was recently brought in as the City’s Chief Diversity Officer, a role that’s beginning to arise more and more across local government. Today we talk about why ‘this time is different’ for diversity in Worcester, how to have difficult conversations in the workplace, and what the end goal of inclusion actually is. Please enjoy my conversation with Stephanie Williams.

Stephanie Williams - Inclusivity is Not Food and Fun [City Hall Stories, Ep. 14]

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/9/12/23/8f657427-8750-4cdc-a278-cf13a6a66626_dave_amos_post_auph.mp3

Dave Amos runs City Beautiful, the most popular YouTube channel in the world focusing specifically on urban planning and design. Amassing over 36 million views, his videos draw from his PhD to introduce regular folks to concepts of livable and healthy communities. Today we discuss things that local government leaders can do right now to address the climate emergency, why more freeway lanes are not the answer, and why the US can’t look to Europe for all of its urban planning answers. Please enjoy my conversation with Dave Amos. Jack English: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-english-nz/" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>Dave Amos: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGc8ZVCsrR3dAuhvUbkbToQ" rel="nofollow">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/citybeautifulyt?lang=en" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a>

Dave Amos - City Beautiful [City Hall Stories, Ep. 13]

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/8/24/13/5258199c-965d-42c8-bedb-2f7659eec364_barbara_canales_post_auph.mp3

South Texas has been the focal point of disaster for the past 18 months, and Nueces County is no different. Overseeing 250k residents, Judge Barbara Canales is the chief executive officer of a county which faced hurricanes, snow storms, and at one point the highest covid positivity rate in the US. Today we talk leadership, how family informs her decision making, and the toughest decision she&#39;s faced in office. Sprinkled throughout are beautiful verbal paintings of southern Texas life, and why it&#39;s such a special place.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with Judge Barbara Canales. Jack English: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-english-nz/" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>Barbara Canales: <a href="https://twitter.com/barbara4nueces" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?cad=rja&cd=&esrc=s&q=&rct=j&sa=t&source=web&uact=8&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fbarbara-canales-3a12b142&usg=AOvVaw0hfS7g_jIwv4TtROJLxHeu&ved=2ahUKEwjg9anT48nyAhXNct8KHY4aCnYQFnoECAIQAQ" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>

Barbara Canales - I Thought I Could Change the World [City Hall Stories, Ep. 12]

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/8/16/17/08c99e9f-e733-4725-883d-0c67d56b4880_shannah_hayley_post_auph.mp3

If you think all a communications team for a city does is send out notices when a pipe bursts (as I admittedly did), then you couldn&#39;t be more wrong. As we learn today from Shannah Hayley, Communications Director of Plano, TX, successful communication is one of the key strategic levers a local government has to drive engagement, trust and ultimately outcomes that better reflect it&#39;s residents. Today we discuss some of the private sector instincts had to curb when joining local government, how she goes about recruiting world class talent for her team, and how her team has built the largest YouTube channel of any local government in the US.

Shannah Hayley - Let's Just Delete Facebook [City Hall Stories, Ep. 11]

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/8/2/5/6a559bf0-d9a8-4e05-8208-d1ec937178cb_jeff_cook_post_auph.mp3

Behind every City, Village and State is a web of tools enabling staff to keep our lights on, our roads paved and our taxes safe. Many of these tools are software applications loosely connected by the name GovTech. This space has seen an eruption of interest in the past decade with the growth of software as a service, and especially in the past few years as a growing mound of capital chases stable growth. Jeff Cook sits in the middle of this all as managing director of shea and company. A leading author on GovTech, Jeff&#39;s role is facilitating the growth of GovTech firms through investment, mergers and acquisitions. While this sounds like a rather dry subject I do hope you stick around for this episode as I found it personally fascinating. Jeff takes us on a retrospective through the industry, why govtech is in the global investment spotlight, and how a deal comes together. Please enjoy. Jack English: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-english-nz/" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>Jeff Cook: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-cook-cfa-1737549" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://www.govtech.com/jeff-cook" rel="nofollow">GovTech</a>

Jeff Cook - GovTech is Exploding [City Hall Stories, Ep. 10]

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/7/28/4/24db6339-c7e0-409c-b3a3-c9aee9c0561d_alan_murphy_preauph.mp3

In local government it’s easy to forget that residents don’t really care where one district ends and another begins. At the end of the day, they want cohesion and efficiency in the services they utilize. That’s why Smart Dublin exists. It’s a joint program between 4 Councils, led by our guest today Alan Murphy, with the goal of implementing systemic improvements across the entire region, rather than the more common piecemeal approach. Coordinating this brings many challenges but also many benefits, and today Alan and I discuss the projects his team is engaged in (like MaaS and 5G rollout), what makes a good private sector partner for government, and the early signs you can use to determine if a project is going to take off, or fall flat. Please enjoy my conversation with Alan Murphy. Jack English: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-english-nz/" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>Alan Murphy: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?cad=rja&cd=&esrc=s&q=&rct=j&sa=t&source=web&uact=8&url=https%3A%2F%2Fie.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Falandmurphy&usg=AOvVaw0sn8MHsmB63zH7UuJQJEYN&ved=2ahUKEwj1rNyH84TyAhUVWCsKHc_LCO4QFjAKegQIBxAD" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>

Alan Murphy - Solving Homelessness With An App [City Hall Stories, Ep. 9]

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/7/19/4/5c90fc8b-80fe-4960-a831-4c0ad09d86e7_kevin_knutson_post_auph.mp3

When it comes to local government, Kevin Knutson has been there and done it. Now the Assistant County Administrator for Pinellas County, Florida, he’s led over 200 government consulting projects, sat in the City Manager’s Office of Reno Nevada, spent time in Canada as the Vice President of a GovTech firm, and so much more. He has insight for days, and today he shares it on the lessons governments should take from the private sector, what it really means to be a Smart government, and how to ensure that every voice at the table feels heard. Please enjoy my conversation with Kevin Knutson. Jack English: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-english-nz/" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>Kevin Knutson: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinknutson/" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/kevinknutson?lang=en" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a>

Kevin Knutson - To Lead is To Disappoint [City Hall Stories, Ep. 8]

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/7/13/17/981eb961-98f5-484f-a219-d703793a70ef_jordan_sun_post_auph.mp3

Jordan Sun has an incredible resume. Prior to joining San Jose as the Chief Innovation Officer, Jordan was Chief Operating Officer for the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan Technology Team, while also holding the rank of Major supporting the US Army’s technology modernization efforts. In addition to this, Jordan previously held directorate roles at Siemens, and is currently active in start-up investment and mentoring. This has created a unique service-focused mindset that includes a wealth of operational and technical expertise. We discuss his experience joining San Jose in the middle of the pandemic, how the City is pushing for unparalleled economic mobility, and the ongoing struggle with broadband accessibility. Please enjoy my conversation with Jordan Sun Jack English: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-english-nz/" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>Jordan Sun: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?cad=rja&cd=&esrc=s&q=&rct=j&sa=t&source=web&uact=8&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fsunjordan&usg=AOvVaw2wOEZa0baPq3NNaLVJWGem&ved=2ahUKEwjY1vSNy-DxAhVBeX0KHSlBCE8QFnoECAUQAA" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/sanjosemoti?lang=en" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a>

Jordan Sun - Silicon Valley Meets Local Government [City Hall Stories, Ep. 7]

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/7/7/4/95593559-908d-4cb0-8d2f-433356b1b18a_karina_ricks_final__after_auph__bad.mp3

Karina Ricks sits in the City of Pittsburgh’s Mayor’s Cabinet, as the inaugural Director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure. Previously the Director of Transportation Planning for the District of Columbia, Karina now oversees the design and implementation of Pittsburgh’s ‘complete network’: resiliency, transportation, sustainability, autonomous vehicles and more. Today, we dive into all of these topics to understand how the modern City is being planned and built. Note, you may hear birdsong and the occasional car drive past. We’ve left this in to help you imagine a summer walk through Pittsburgh as the City wakes up. Or something like that. Please enjoy, Jack English: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-english-nz/" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>Karina Ricks: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?cad=rja&cd=&esrc=s&q=&rct=j&sa=t&source=web&uact=8&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fkarina-ricks-837b9828&usg=AOvVaw2kHcM-45j6_kMrNEyKMlKn&ved=2ahUKEwin5P3klNDxAhUo4zgGHUemAx8QFjAAegQIAxAD" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/walk_left?lang=en" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a>

Karina Ricks - Prioritizing Humans Over Cars  [City Hall Stories, Ep. 6]

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/6/29/4/42df3fe8-cd32-4324-81be-743d7ba7e0de_mike_m_final__auphonic_.mp3

Mike Mendonça is the Chief Resilience Officer of Wellington, New Zealand. Named the fourth most livable city in the world by the Economist this year, Wellington has three central challenges: changing population, earthquakes, and sea level rise. Mike’s office is tasked with confronting all of these, using a holistic framework that looks 100 years into the future to forecast how Wellington can continue being a safe and dynamic population center. Today, we discuss how to incorporate indigenous knowledge into strategic planning, how to manage relationships with short-term results oriented peers, and the plan to quake-proof NZ’s capital city. Please enjoy my conversation with Mike Mendonça.Jack English: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-english-nz/" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>Mike Mendonça: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?cad=rja&cd=&esrc=s&q=&rct=j&sa=t&source=web&uact=8&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnz.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fmike-mendonca-a943b6109&usg=AOvVaw1ybnRNYWLFZQFc2si4WA1P&ved=2ahUKEwiMhLSQg7zxAhXFWisKHS9LBBoQFjACegQIAxAD" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>

Mike Mendonça - Planning for 2100...Starting Today [City Hall Stories, Ep. 5]

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/6/23/4/cec9c507-1e16-4d17-af49-0a5c9a238f8f_pete_buryk_final_post-auph.mp3

Pete Buryk is the Director of CivicLab Norfolk, in Norfolk Virginia. His work building this office of innovation has seen him recognized in the top 20 most influential local government professionals, and CivicLab Norfolk has driven projects across City government resulting in massive efficiency and customer-service gains.We talk about how to implement innovation in the most cautious industry there is, what differentiates nice to have and need to have technology, and what his Office is doing to help address climate risk.Please enjoy my conversation with Pete Buryk. Jack English: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-english-nz/" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>Pete Buryk: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?cad=rja&cd=&esrc=s&q=&rct=j&sa=t&source=web&uact=8&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fpeterburyk&usg=AOvVaw1KLzdzV9hAqd0xtHOgvJb-&ved=2ahUKEwj4np7196zxAhVfumMGHdhED6MQFjAAegQIAhAD" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?cad=rja&cd=&esrc=s&q=&rct=j&sa=t&source=web&uact=8&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fpeterrburyk%3Flang%3Den&usg=AOvVaw2Yvaik8PE0bN02vmZaNONs&ved=2ahUKEwj4np7196zxAhVfumMGHdhED6MQFjABegQIBBAE" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a>

Pete Buryk - Don't Shock the System [City Hall Stories, Ep. 4]

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/6/14/2/312474e7-ef83-49dc-b544-9c25c60fb877_brent_stockwell_finished__auphonic_.mp3

Brent Stockwell is a local government legend. Now sitting in the City Manager&#39;s office of Scottsdale, Arizona, he is renowned for leading inclusive, high performance and data driven teams. Our conversation touches on the misconception that it&#39;s impossible to &#39;fight&#39; City Hall, fundamental issues with electoral voting and Council-Manager governance, plus how to benchmark...when there is no benchmark. Please enjoy. Jack English: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-english-nz/" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>. Brent Stockwell: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-stockwell-1260938b" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/brent4cities?lang=en" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a>

Brent Stockwell - How to Fight City Hall [City Hall Stories, Ep. 3]

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/6/9/5/98fde377-bb5b-4286-a3b4-6831dca369fc_josh_birks_final_upload__after_auph_1_.mp3

Josh Birks is an economic development star. Overseeing one of the USA’s fastest growing cities, Fort Collins Colorado, Josh and his team have led a $330 million dollar redevelopment project, retained major corporate headquarters and were selected as one of Bloomberg’s Champion Cities in supporting sustainable development. While we often think of local government as serving the citizens, it’s often overlooked that every City has a business community requiring support and advocacy. Today, Josh and I go deep on how to create a vibrant local economy, the necessary tension between business and citizen interests, plus the unique code of ethics that binds Coloradan cities.

Josh Birks - We Don't Steal Business [City Hall Stories, Ep. 2]

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/6/2/4/f1266ccd-c36d-4249-a682-03ab3b4e3653_warren_logan_-_final__auphonic_.mp3

As the Director of Mobility and Interagency Relations in the Mayor&#39;s Office of Oakland, California, Warren Logan is responsible for moving 400,000 residents every day in the safest, most sustainable and affordable way possible. More than just creating a path from A to B, Warren is committed to using mobility as a tool to change how Oaklanders live. A large part of this is reimagining what a city street can and should do (hint, it&#39;s more than just move cars). Our conversation touches on all things land use and equity, and will make you think differently about the ideal city of 2035.

Warren Logan - Reimagining City Streets [City Hall Stories, Ep. 1]

Conversations with local government leaders

An exploration into the organizations that define our society, and the individuals that lead them.

We speak to local government innovators to understand how our future cities, towns and counties are being built in real-time, plus learn best practices on the strategy and vision that creates an effective government.

City Hall Stories

Episodes