Best Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL Podcasts (2025)

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#694 Democracy and City Management with Valerie Lemmie, Charles F. Kettering Foundation 1:07:26

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4d ago1:07:26

1:07:26

Valerie Lemmie, Senior Advisor for State and Local Government for the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, joined the podcast to talk about her career in city management and the state of democracy. She shared how she navigated difficult situations during her city management career, including as City Manager of Cincinnati, Ohio when there were protests …

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#693 Form of Government Change and Elected to City Manager with Deb Mohlenhoff, Ithaca, NY 59:44

1h ago59:44

59:44

Deb Mohlenhoff, City Manager for the City of Ithaca, New York, joined the podcast to talk about her role transitioning from an elected official to a City Manager and changing the City's form of government. She shared why the city decided to transition forms of government, her role in the transition, and challenges faced during the transition. She a…

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#692 Sustainable Libraries Initiative with Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Mid-Hudson Library System 48:20

4d ago48:20

48:20

Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Executive Director for the Mid-Hudson Library System joined the podcast to discuss the Sustainable Libraries Initiative. She shared how the initiative was created, how libraries can earn the certification, and the importance of adapting sustainability language. Host: Lauren Palmer…

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#691 The Scenic Route to City Hall with Peggy Flynn, Petaluma, CA 50:37

11d ago50:37

50:37

Peggy Flynn, City Manager for the City of Petaluma, California, joined the podcast to talk about fostering a culture of innovation, transparency, and engagement. She also discussed delivering effective and efficient public services. She shared how the City of Petaluma has evolved, projects her team is working on, and similarities between cattle ran…

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#690 Finance, Innovation, and Emerging Trends with Chris Morrill and Shayne Kavanagh, GFOA 57:13

1M ago57:13

57:13

Two guests rejoined the podcast to discuss finance and innovation. Chris Morrill, Executive Director, and Shayne Kavanagh, Senior Manager of Research, at the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) discussed their work. They talked about GFOA's research initiatives and how they are helping organizations deal with recent changes in federal fu…

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#689 Communications in a Growing Town with Angela Wilson, Frederick, CO 58:54

1M ago58:54

58:54

Angela Wilson, the Deputy Public Information Officer for the Town of Frederick, Colorado, joined the podcast to talk about communications in a fast-growing community. She shared strategies the Town uses to stay engaged with residents and how to provide honest and transparent communications to residents. She also discussed the importance of setting …

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#688 Navigating a Career Path and Capital Projects with Ariana Adame, West Sacramento, CA 50:41

1M ago50:41

50:41

Ariana Adame, Assistant City Manager for the City of West Sacramento, California, joined the podcast talk about her career path and capital projects. She discussed the pros and cons of career paths working for one or many jurisdictions. She talked about her time leading the City's capital program and how they incorporate equity into the work. She a…

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Best of: Employee Onboarding Best Practices with Benjamin Mead-Harvey 1:05:33

2M ago1:05:33

1:05:33

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 …

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#687 Starting as a New County Manager and Building Culture with Josh Edwards, York County, SC 57:07

2M ago57:07

57:07

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 ref…

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#686 From the Fire House to the City Manager's Office with Bryan Dehner and Donna Lake 1:03:43

2M ago1:03:43

1:03:43

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 o…

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#685 10 Years of Local Government Stories with GovLove 58:01

2M ago58:01

58:01

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 hea…

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#684 Fellowships and Lead for North Carolina with Dylan Russell, UNC School of Government 59:15

3M ago59:15

59:15

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 loc…

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#683 Performance Excellence and Building a Premier Community with Polly Walker, Henderson, NV 57:44

3M ago57:44

57:44

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 t…

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#682 Data Analysis and Artificial Intelligence with Rochelle Haynes and Carrie Bishop 53:36

3M ago53:36

53:36

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…

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#681 Public Service and Responsive Government with Brooks Williams, Ferris, TX 53:32

4M ago53:32

53:32

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 go…

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#680 Coaching Those Who Lead Our Communities with Kellye Mazzoli, City Boss Coaching 54:07

3M ago54:07

54:07

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 …

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#679 Land Use Planning and Residential Segregation with Scott Markley, National Zoning Atlas 26:58

4M ago26:58

26:58

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 Associati…

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#678 Change Management and Implementing a New Form of Government with Michael Jordan, Portland, OR 51:24

4M ago51:24

51:24

Michael Jordan, the City Administrator for the City of Portland, Oregon, joined the podcast to discuss Portland's transition to a new form of government. He talked about the voter apporved change in 2022 and the work that went into preparing the organization for its first elections under the new form of government in 2024. He shared how the transit…

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#677 From Animator to Deputy City Administrator with Kim Nakahodo, North Kansas City, MO 44:55

4M ago44:55

44:55

Kim Nakahodo, a 2025 ELGL Top Influencer and Deputy City Administrator for the City of North Kansas City, Missouri joined to podcast to discuss her journey in local government. She shared the value of professional organizations and the importance of empowering and engaging youth. She also talked about the impact of losing a police officer in the li…

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#676 Local Responses to Intoxicating Hemp with Glen Cole, Rolling Meadows, IL 59:53

4M ago59:53

59:53

Glen Cole, the Assistant City Manager and Community Development Director for City of Rolling Meadows, Illinois joined the podcast to discuss intoxicating hemp regulation at the local government level. He shared how intoxicating hemp is different than recreational marijuana and the lack of state regulation related to intoxicating hemp. He also discu…

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#675 Role of the Assistant Manager and Nonpartisan Leadership with Emily Colon 58:34

5M ago58:34

58:34

Emily Colon, former Deputy City Manager for the City of Lakeland, Florida, joined the podcast to talk about her career and two important management concepts. She recently wrote about the importance of nonpartisanship and she discussed how it can be a superpower for local government staff in an era of high polarization. She shared her approach for h…

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#674 Stand By Me, Emergency Mutual Aid in Malibu, CA with Joseph Toney and Alexis Brown 1:08:19

5M ago1:08:19

1:08:19

Two guests joined the podcast to talk about the response to the Palisades Fire. Joseph Toney is the Acting City Manager for Malibu and Alexis Brown is the Deputy City Manager for Malibu. They discussed how these fire emergencies have affected staff and the importance of mutual aide. They also shared tips for other agencies who may face fire or othe…

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#673 Managing Disruption in a Rapidly Changing World with Michael Welker, ncIMPACT 54:02

5M ago54:02

54:02

Michael Welker, Director of Policy and Research Partnerships for the ncIMPACT Initiative at the UNC School of Government joined the podcast to discuss managing change. He talked about a recent report they released on Managing Disruption in a Rapidly Changing World. He shared why managing disruption is so important, the elements they identified as c…

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#672 Reimagining Communities and Local Government Trends with Sheila Shockey and Grant Mayfield 53:21

5M ago53:21

53:21

Two guests joined the podcast to talk about trends in local government and futurology. Sheila Shockey is the Founder and CEO of Shockey Consulting Services. Grant Mayfield is a Public Administration Consultant for Shockey Consulting Services. They discussed their path to working with local government organizations and attracting people to the profe…

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#671 Inside the City Management Internship Experience with Emilia Krajewski, Diksha, and Sarah Nissen 57:36

6M ago57:36

57:36

Three civic starters joined the podcast to discuss their city management internships. Emilia Krajewski is a Management Intern for the City of Chandler, Arizona; Diksha is an Administrative Intern in Economic Development for the City of Saginaw, Texas; and Sarah Nissen is a City Management Intern for the City of Plymouth, Minnesota. They shared thei…

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#670 Innovation and Collaboration through the Sparks Program with Grace Hanne, Johnson County KS 41:56

6M ago41:56

41:56

Grace Hanne, an Innovation Principal Analyst for Johnson County, KS joined the podcast to discuss the County's Sparks Pilot Program, which is an effort to encourage collaboration and innovation across the organization. The program brings together employees from different areas of the County to work on transformative projects. She detailed what bene…

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#669 Bar Exam on Recent Legal Cases Affecting Local Government with Megan Mack and Greg Jones 59:41

6M ago59:41

59:41

Three lawyers walk into a bar. Megan Mack and Greg Jones, both Partners at the local government law firm, Ancel Glink, joined the podcast to talk about recent cases impacting local governments. They discussed the Supreme Court ruling affecting camping bans in Grants Pass v. Johnson. They talked about two zoning cases involving a challenge from resi…

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#668 Career Change and Leadership with Kayla Barber-Perrotta, Albany, OR 54:28

6M ago54:28

54:28

Kayla Barber-Perrotta, Deputy City Manager for the City of Albany, Oregon, rejoined the podcast to talk about her new role. She discussed the transition from Budget and Performance Manager to Deputy City Manager in a new state, what she was looking for in a new position, and the process to interview for a leadership role. She shared advice for othe…

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#667 Urban Cooling and Climate Action with Brianne Fisher, Tempe, AZ 1:01:47

6M ago1:01:47

1:01:47

Brianne Fisher, the Climate Action Manager for the City of Tempe, Arizona, joined the podcast to discuss sustainability and climate action. She talked about the importance of urban cooling to reduce risk from extreme heat and how green infrastructure plays a roll. She also shared key elements of the City's Climate Action Plan and the role of resili…

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#666 Civic Match with Caitlin Lewis, Work for America 49:22

7M ago49:22

49:22

Caitlin Lewis, Executive Director for Work for America, joined the podcast to discuss her work in tackling the government staffing crisis in communities nationwide. She shared information about their Civic Match program, opportunities the transition of federal administrations presents for local governments, and why she wants to ban the term ‘bureau…

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#665 Data and AI for Public Good with Amy Edwards Holmes, Center for Government Excellence 42:42

7M ago42:42

42:42

Amy Edwards Holmes, former Executive Director for the Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University joined the podcast to discuss data and artificial intelligence (AI) for the public good. She discussed use cases for AI for local government, how to safely use AI, and information about the GovEx City AI Connect. She also discussed how…

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#664 Reflections of a Former Mayor with Bill Peduto, Pittsburgh, PA 49:18

7M ago49:18

49:18

Bill Peduto, former Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, joined the podcast to reflect on his service as Mayor. He discussed the accomplishments that he is most proud of and advice he would give to young folks interested in local government or early career professionals. He also talked about his current role as a Distinguished Executive i…

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#663 Connecticut Communications with Marissa Baum, East Hartford, CT 34:02

8M ago34:02

34:02

Marissa Baum, Head of Communications for the City of East Hartford, Connecticut joined the podcast to discuss her role in communications. She shared her transition from museums to local government, how she made an award winning video for #CityHallSelfieDay, and provided insight on going viral in the national media. Host: Lauren Palmer…

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#662 Sustainable Energy Utility and Climate Action Progress with Dr. Missy Stults, Ann Arbor, MI 58:21

8M ago58:21

58:21

Dr. Missy Stults, Sustainability and Innovations Director with the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan, returned to the podcast to give an update on the implementation of the A2ZERO Climate Action Plan and discuss the recent referendum where voters created a Sustainable Energy Utility. She shared how the sustainable energy utility will improve resilience a…

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#661 The Real Ice Town with Tim Blakeslee, Plymouth, WI 34:56

8M ago34:56

34:56

Tim Blakeslee, the City Administrator for the City of Plymouth, Wisconsin joined the podcast to discuss the trials and tribulations of a past ice rink project and how it almost became an episode of Parks and Rec. He shared how the public-private partnership was formed to build the ice rink, what issues occurred and how they were addressed, and how …

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#660 Modernizing Transportation Design Standards in Durham, NC with Nate Baker and Lauren Grove 1:08:36

8M ago1:08:36

1:08:36

Two guests from the joined the podcast to discuss transportation standards and how they shape the built environment. Nate Baker is an At-Large City Council Member for the City of Durham, North Carolina and Lauren Grove is the Vision Zero Coordinator for the City of Durham, North Carolina. Nate shared why a change was needed and building support for…

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#659 Social Media 2.0 with Cathedral City, CA and CiviSocial 59:32

8M ago59:32

59:32

Three guests joined the podcast to discuss a new approach to managing and creating social media. Sam Toles is the Founder and CEO at CiviSocial. Ryan Hunt is the Communications and Events Manager and Anne Ambrose is the Assistant City Manager for the City of Cathedral City, California. They shared their new and innovative approach to social media, …

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#658 The 2024 GovieLovies 1:15:22

9M ago1:15:22

1:15:22

It's the most wonderful time of year! From artificial intelligence and traffic engineering to recruiting and planning, our episodes covered a wide array of all that goes into local government. To celebrate 2024 and look forward to 2025, the GovLove co-hosts teamed up to give out the most prestigious award in local government podcasting. Lauren, Dan…

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#657 All About the Inspector General with Deborah Witzburg, Chicago, IL 40:11

9M ago40:11

40:11

Deborah Witzburg, the Inspector General for the City of Chicago, Illinois, joined to the podcast to discuss her current role. She shared the difference between an inspector general and auditor, how she determines which programs of the City to evaluate, and important changes she has implemented related to criminal justice reform. Host: Lauren Palmer…

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#656 Managing a Small Town and Returnships with India Adams-Jacobs, Bowling Green, VA 34:30

9M ago34:30

34:30

India Adams-Jacobs, Town Manager of the Town of Bowling Green, Virginia, joined the podcast to talk about her career path and managing a small town. She talked about taking on her current role managing her hometown, the transition to get to know the organization, and how her previous roles prepared her for this role. She also discussed a "returnshi…

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#655 Civic User Research with Ryan Kurtzman and Gati Wankyo, Long Beach, CA 55:56

9M ago55:56

55:56

Two guests from the City of Long Beach, California joined the podcast to discuss civic user research. Ryan Kurtzman is the Technology Partnerships Officer and Gati Wankyo is a Training Coordinator. They discussed how civic user research helps the City to improve digital services and technology. They also shared examples of the research in practice …

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#654 ICMA Governance Review with Andy Pederson, Bayside, WI 29:54

9M ago29:54

29:54

Andy Pederson, the Village Manager for the Village of Bayside, Wisconsin joined the podcast to discuss his work on the ICMA Governance Task Force. He shared why the Task Force was formed, the need to rebalance the regions, and how the Code of Ethics influenced the work of the Task Force. This episode was recorded at the 2024 ICMA Conference in Pitt…

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#653 Innovation Officer to City Manager with Dan Hoffman, Winchester, VA 55:06

10M ago55:06

55:06

Dan Hoffman the City Manager for the City of Winchester, Virginia joined the podcast to discuss his career path of Innovation Officer to the role of City Manager. He shared how changing jobs allowed him to implement projects at scale and how innovation principles have prepared him for leadership roles. He also discussed transitioning from Assistant…

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#652 Deepening the Understanding of Cities with Allison Laskey, Nature Cities 46:44

10M ago46:44

46:44

Allison Laskey, Associate Editor for Nature Cities joined the podcast to discuss her academic journal, Nature Cities. The journal aims to deepen and integrate basic and applied understanding of the nature of cities, including their roles, impacts and influences — past, present and future. She shared what is like to be an editor of an academic journ…

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#651 Distinguished Service with Tony Gardner, Commonwealth Center for High-Performance Organizations 34:41

10M ago34:41

34:41

Tony Gardner, Senior Vice President for the Commonwealth Center for High-Performance Organizations joined the podcast to discuss his ICMA Distinguished Service Award. He shared his work aboard in Poland, innovations in local government, and provided advice to the next generation. This episode was recorded at the 2024 ICMA Conference in Pittsburgh, …

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#650 Sustainability and Resilience in Parks and Recreation - Live from NRPA! 57:50

10M ago57:50

57:50

Three guests joined the podcast for a very special session of GovLove and Open Space Radio. Ali Rhodes is the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Boulder, Colorado, Bernita Reese is the Recreation and Parks Director for the City of Columbus, Ohio, and Michele White is a Senior Program Manager for the National Recreation and Parks Associat…

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#649 Across the Generations with Sam Badger and Decker Ploehn 39:17

11M ago39:17

39:17

Two guests joined the podcast to share their generational perspective on local government. Sam Badger is the City Manager's Office Marvin Andrews Fellow at City of Scottsdale, Arizona and Decker Ploehn is the City Administrator for the City of Bettendorf, Iowa. They each shared their career path, talked about the importance of relationships, and as…

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#648 Student Engagement and Starting in Local Government with Olivia Perfetti and Lily Neilsen 48:48

11M ago48:48

48:48

Two guests joined the podcast to talk about starting their careers in public service. Olivia Perfetti is the Municipal Engagement Manager for Allegheny County Conservation District and Lily Neilsen is an Environmental Justice Intern for a non-profit, New Sun Rising. They both attended, or are attending, Carnegie Mellon University for their Master's…

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#647 An Actionable and Transformative Comprehensive Plan in North Chicago, IL with Taylor Wegrzyn and Siraj Asfahani 59:38

11M ago59:38

59:38

Taylor Wegrzyn, Director of Economic and Community Development at the City of North Chicago, Illinois and Siraj Asfahani, Vice President at The Lakota Group joined to podcast to discuss the City of North Chicago's award-winning Comprehensive Plan. They discussed the need for more frequent revisions of a comprehensive plan and the unique opportuniti…

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#646 Climate Action and Building a Resilient Community with Kara Silbernagel, Pitkin County, CO 47:53

11M ago47:53

47:53

Kara Silbernagel, Deputy County Manager for Pitkin County, Colorado joined the podcast to discuss climate action planning. She talked about how the County's work is impacted by Federal land, emergency management, and affordability. She shared the importance of engagement in climate action planning and discussed the elements of the County's plan, es…