Best Polish Course Podcasts (2025)

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Announcing Sam Toles' New Social Media Course for Elected Officials | Ep. 130 57:39

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2d ago57:39

57:39

Are your elected officials overreacting to negative comments and criticism on social media? Tired of watching them get spun up by a handful of keyboard warriors living in their mother's basement? Then you need to enroll your elected officials in Sam Toles' new social media training course for elected officials. He is the social media master and a f…

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BEWARE: Bait & Switch in Valley Center, KS City Administrator Recruitment | Ep. 129 40:24

9d ago40:24

40:24

In this episode, I call out what I believe to be unethical and deceitful practices by the the city of Valley Center, Kansas in their current search for a new city administrator. The have posted on LinkedIn that the salary range for their next administrator is $115,000 to $200,000. However, their original job postings that are still visible on vario…

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Small Town City Manager Love Affair with Halley Roberson | Ep. 128 1:16:12

16d ago1:16:12

1:16:12

Beloit City Manager Halley Roberson is one of my favorite interviews of all-time and I am pretty sure that most of you will enjoy it, too. She is absolutely hilarious and I am glad I drove the two plus hours to meet her. In this episode, we discuss our mutual love for small town city management, especially in Kansas, and the opportunities it presen…

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Chris Mann: Knowing Your Why & Being Prepared to Execute | Ep. 127 1:02:37

23d ago1:02:37

1:02:37

Chris Mann's journey to the city manager's chair was a circuitous, non-traditional one. The California city manager started his journey as a city councilman in his early 20s and would later go on to start his own public relations firm which heavily focused on local government issues and land development. He would then launch a a successful politica…

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The Black City Manager: A New Series with Troy Body | Ep. 126 56:37

1M ago56:37

56:37

For many months, I have been trying to coax and cajole Troy Body into starting his own podcast or at the very least becoming a regular, recurring guest on my podcast. I have wanted to provide a platform for the Hopkinsville, Kentucky city manager and give him a voice. He has interesting perspectives and opinions you will not find anywhere else rega…

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Blaine Oborn: Persecuted Because of My LDS Faith | Ep. 125 54:32

1M ago54:32

54:32

For nearly 20 years, Blaine Oborn had an unblemished record as a city manager serving in multiple states. That all changed when he became the city administrator in Oak Harbor, Washington. He assumed his duties as the city was at the very tail end of a wastewater plant project that had tripled in costs from $50 million to $150 million under the lead…

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Lessons From the Death of My Father with Joe Dessenberger | Ep. 124 1:05:52

1M ago1:05:52

1:05:52

Joe Dessenberger grew up with a father who worked seven days a week until he died rather suddenly after a brief battle with cancer at the age of 62. His father had a vision of what his life would be like in retirement, but never got to enjoy it. In this emotionally charged episode, we discuss the indelible influence of his father's journey through …

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Paul Sanftner Needs Your Help with His Brilliant Public Safety Idea | Ep. 123 43:25

2M ago43:25

43:25

San Leandro Public Information Officer Paul Sanftner has a fantastic public safety idea that would help local government agencies during emergencies and save lives. But he needs your help! He is trying to persuade YouTube to add an emergency alert feature to their platform so that authorities can communicate important life-saving messages during na…

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Swingers Edition: Unhinged & Crazy in Rehoboth Beach | Ep. 122 48:30

2M ago48:30

48:30

Rehoboth Beach Commissioner Suzanne Goode dropped 10 voicemail messages on her city manager in the span of 24 hours demanding that he edit or unpublish an official public meeting from their YouTube account. Why? Because another commissioner publicly shamed her for being toxic and abusive toward fellow commissioners and staff at a subcommittee meeti…

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Star Wars, Tattoos & Community Engagement with Jeff Fiegenschuh | Ep. 121 1:03:33

2M ago1:03:33

1:03:33

In this powerful episode, Jeff Fiegenschuh talks about his approach to community engagement, connecting with staff, and building relationships with his elected officials as the city manager for Rochelle, Illinois. What prompted my desire to interview Jeff was the fact that he contributes a monthly column to his local paper and I believe most execut…

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Ep. 120 | It's Time to Rate & Review the Recruiters 39:55

2M ago39:55

39:55

In a couple of months, the American Association of Municipal Executives will be launching an online directory that will allow candidates to rate and review executive recruiters and recruitment firms. Under the current system, there is no mechanism or vehicle in place to give candidates a voice or to allow their concerns to be raised or addressed. B…

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City Manager Launches CityOrdinanceAI for Local Governments | Ep. 119 37:02

3M ago37:02

37:02

Perry City Manager Nathan Read wanted to make it easier for residents to decipher the legalese of city ordinances and codes. So with the help of his best friend and business partner, they built CityOrdinanceAI and are now offering it up as a product for other city managers and local governments to purchase. In this episode, we talk about his journe…

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Celebrating the Death of Baker Tilly - Now What? | Ep. 118 50:59

3M ago50:59

50:59

On Friday, Baker Tilly Executive Recruitment announced they were going out of business. It was the culmination of two years worth of work highlighting their poor treatment of candidates and mediocre work product. It all started in July 2023 when I published my first podcast episode about the Canfield, Ohio search. Just a few months earlier, Baker T…

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BREAKING: Horrific Details in PFA Issued Against La Marque Councilman Joseph Lowry | Ep. 117 44:31

3M ago44:31

44:31

Some shocking details concerning La Marque Councilman Joseph Lowry surfaced this week. Hayley Winkelmann is leading the effort to recall the controversial official and she shared some court records with the podcast. On July 24th, Lowry's ex-wife obtained a Protection From Abuse (PFA) order in the State of Washington. The court found her claims cred…

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Arson, Stolen Valor, and an Arrest in La Marque with Reporter TJ Aulds | Ep. 116 47:56

3M ago47:56

47:56

Authorities arrested the former city manager for La Marque, Texas on Saturday. A warrant for the arrest of J.B. Pritchett had been issued about a week prior on charges related to felony arson and tampering with evidence and misdemeanor charges related to allegedly lying about his education and military service on his job applications and resume. In…

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What is going on in La Marque with Reporter TJ Aulds | Ep. 115 58:45

4M ago58:45

58:45

This week a warrant was issued for the arrest of former La Marque city manager, J.B. Pritchett. He is facing five charges, of which two are felonies. How in the hell did we get here? To an outsider, the small Texas town of La Marque seems like a chaotic, toxic mess. Many people point their fingers at a councilman by the name of Joseph Lowry who has…

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The City Manager's Guide to Contract Negotiations | Ep. 114 21:56

4M ago21:56

21:56

In this episode, I share a personal update about my legal matters and mental health. I also tease the release of my new book called: The City Manager's Guide to Contract Negotiations. AAME JOB BOARD: The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and senior level local government recruitments.…

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Challenges Facing Next Sacramento City Manager with Jeff Harris | Ep. 113 57:02

4M ago57:02

57:02

Former Sacramento Councilman Jeff Harris returns to the show to discuss the challenges facing the next city manager. Harris served on the council from 2014-2022 and writes regular columns about the machinations of City Hall. In Part 1, he defended the record of former city manager, Howard Chan. This week, we take a deep dive into the organization i…

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Sacramento Councilman Jeff Harris: In Defense of Howard Chan | Ep. 112 1:06:55

4M ago1:06:55

1:06:55

Got a unique episode this week. Former Sacramento Councilman Jeff Harris comes on the show to defend his former city manager, Howard Chan. Harris served on the council from 2014-2022 and was on the council when Chan was selected to lead their community. He knows the ins-and-outs of Sacramento politics and the truth behind the motives and machinatio…

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We Carry the Trauma to Our Next Job with Tim Rundel | Ep. 111 1:03:10

5M ago1:03:10

1:03:10

We continue our conversation with the always entertaining Tim Rundel in this second installment. Tim has not just seen a thing or two, he has personally endured some incredibly challenging and professionally traumatic situations. In this powerful episode, he talks about how we as city managers carry the trauma of abuse and betrayal to our next posi…

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Ep. 110 | It Just Takes One to Ruin It with Tim Rundel 1:07:16

5M ago1:07:16

1:07:16

One new council member can turn everything on its head and send you heading for the exits when you are a city manager. Tim Rundel, the former city manager for the City of Weed, recounts his experience with this elected official who also happened to be married to one of his employees. We talk about the importance of building relationships with your …

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Brian Daily: You're Getting Screwed on Your Property Insurance | Ep. 109 57:55

5M ago57:55

57:55

Brian Daily was the first person I ever hired as a city manager and it was one of the most impactful decisions I have ever made in my professional career. He is an amazing, inquisitive public servant who continually seeks to provide value to taxpayers. He is insanely curious and truly embodies the ethos of a "working executive" who is not afraid to…

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Social Media Training for Elected Officials with Sam Toles | Ep. 108 54:42

5M ago54:42

54:42

Picture this scenario. Staff have worked for a year to bring a project or initiative to the finish line. There have been public meetings and notices, multiple discussions at council meetings, and even some news articles published in the local paper. Out of the blue, a handful of vocal social media commenters start lighting up the city's social medi…

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Sam Toles: The Social Media Playbook for City Managers | Ep. 107 58:34

5M ago58:34

58:34

What is the purpose of social media and why does your organization have a social media presence? In this episode, Sam Toles of CiviSocial and I discuss this issue at length and make a powerful case for why every city and county manager should make sure their organization is doing social media correctly. Not only are there personal and professional …

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Sacramento Cesspool & Putting Recruiters on Notice | Ep. 106 44:34

6M ago44:34

44:34

Recent comments attributed to executive recruiters handling the Sacramento, California and Palm Coast, Florida recruitments must be addressed. A Sacramento Bee article alleged that CPS HR recruiter Pamela Derby has "suggested modifying certain incentives in a potential contract, including supplemental leave and severance, to ensure the new hire doe…

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Part 3: Conducting a Fire/EMS Needs Assessment with Tim Nowak | Ep. 105 42:31

6M ago42:31

42:31

This is the third and final installment of my three part interview series with Fire/EMS consultant Tim Nowak. The primary purpose of this series is to create an introductory primer and give local elected officials and taxpayers a 30,000 foot level overview of the major issues that must be considered when evaluating fire/EMS service in your communit…

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Part 2: Fire/EMS Staffing & Deployment Models with Tim Nowak | Ep. 104 47:51

6M ago47:51

47:51

This is the second installment of my three part interview series with Fire/EMS consultant Tim Nowak. The primary purpose of this series is to create an introductory primer and give local elected officials and taxpayers a 30,000 foot level overview of the major issues that must be considered when evaluating fire/EMS service in your communities. My h…

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Part 1: Fire/EMS Operational & Organizational Models with Tim Nowak | Ep. 103 51:29

6M ago51:29

51:29

This is the first installment of my three part interview series with Fire/EMS consultant Tim Nowak. The primary purpose of this series is to create an introductory primer and give local elected officials and taxpayers a 30,000 foot level overview of the major issues that must be considered when evaluating fire/EMS service in your communities. My ho…

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Handling the Tsunami of Empty Churches with Rick Reinhard | Ep. 102 58:42

7M ago58:42

58:42

Richard "Rick" Reinhard is one of the leading experts when it comes to analyzing and repurposing church real estate in America. In this episode, Rick talks about the great emptying of churches and how this negatively impacts communities. In one of the undergraduate courses he teaches, he has referred to this epidemic as "spiritual brownfields." We …

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Mike Grabianowski: Don't Get Screwed on Your CIP Projects (Part 2) | Ep. 101 1:07:05

7M ago1:07:05

1:07:05

In this two part series, I interview Mike Grabianowski who has many years of experience monitoring and auditing construction projects. As an employee of Georgia Pacific, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, Mike was tasked with ensuring his company was not overbilled whenever it hired contractors to complete projects. These projects, which could exceed…

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Ep. 100 | Mike Grabianowski: Don't Get Screwed on Your CIP Projects (Part 1) 59:33

7M ago59:33

59:33

In this two part series, I interview Mike Grabianowski who has many years of experience monitoring and auditing construction projects. As an employee of Georgia Pacific, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, Mike was tasked with ensuring his company was not overbilled whenever it hired contractors to complete projects. These projects, which could exceed…

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Let's Talk About My Night in Jail | Ep. 99 1:04:27

7M ago1:04:27

1:04:27

In the previous episode, I discussed the circumstances surrounding my arrest related to the performance of my duties as an assistant county administrator in Florida In this episode, I discuss my night in a Walton County jail. AAME JOB BOARD: The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and s…

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Let's Talk About My Arrest in Florida | Ep. 98 1:06:19

8M ago1:06:19

1:06:19

Two weeks ago, I drove across the country to turn myself in on an arrest warrant out of Walton County, Florida. I am facing two third degree felony charges related to carrying out my duties as the assistant county administrator. Though I am innocent until proven guilty and I am confident that I will prevail in court -- I also recognize that in the …

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From Police Chief to City Manager with Matt Jensby | Ep. 97 59:54

8M ago59:54

59:54

After a lengthy and successful career in law enforcement where he served as the police chief for the fastest growing community in Kansas, Matt Jensby had a desire to become a city manager and serve the public in a different way. In this episode, Matt talks about this transition and becoming the city manager for Kechi, a small community north of Wic…

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Donald Duncan: Lessons from Hurricane Helene (Part 2) | Ep. 96 1:19:57

8M ago1:19:57

1:19:57

Caldwell County Manager Donald Duncan and his team were about as prepared as one could be for a natural disaster the size and scope of Hurricane Helene. But even still -- there were lessons to be learned and shared in the aftermath of this storm. In Part 2 of this series, Donald talks about the personal toll this disaster had on him and his staff. …

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Donald Duncan: Lessons from Hurricane Helene (Part 1) | Ep. 95 1:10:24

8M ago1:10:24

1:10:24

Caldwell County Manager Donald Duncan and his team were about as prepared as one could be for a natural disaster the size and scope of Hurricane Helene. But even still -- there were lessons to be learned and shared in the aftermath of this storm. In this riveting interview series, Donald gives us a rundown of the good, the bad, and the ugly when it…

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Rob Boyer Faced Petition to Adopt Strong Mayor Form of Government | Ep. 94 50:21

9M ago50:21

50:21

In Illinois, Freeport City Manager Rob Boyer recently faced down a citizen's petition to move away from the council-manager form of government and revert back to the strong mayor form. Reeling from mismanagement and economic decline, Freeport abandoned the strong mayor form of government about a decade ago. Since that time, Rob and his two predeces…

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What Does AAME Advocacy for City Managers Look Like? | Ep. 93 43:18

9M ago43:18

43:18

City managers deserve to have a professional association that will fight for them and help communicate their narrative in an environment where the deck is usually stacked against them. In this week's episode I wanted to unpack some various advocacy efforts the American Association of Municipal Executives is currently engaged in on behalf of city ma…

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Christian Lundin – Saudier, Putin, Trump och hur man skapar Sveriges bästa medlemsbana 42:19

9M ago42:19

42:19

I sommar slår Crownwood upp portarna, skapad av Christian Lundin och Henrik Stenson. Det är ett mytomspunnet projekt som ska mynna ut i Sveriges bästa medlemsklubb. Hur når man dit? Hur blir banan bäst i Sverige? Och hur är det egentligen med samvetsfrågorna Christian och Henrik kontinuerligt ställs inför?…

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James Freed: Life After Victory Over ICMA | Ep. 92 56:27

9M ago56:27

56:27

Last September after mounting pressure, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) finally capitulated and settled the James Freed lawsuit a month before it was scheduled to go to trial. In this episode, we catch up with the Port Huron, Michigan city manager and see what life is like after his huge victory. Hint: Lots of vacations …

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Jeff Cantrell: Blindsided by Separation Due to Weak Contract | Ep. 91 1:08:23

9M ago1:08:23

1:08:23

When Jeff Cantrell uprooted his family and relocated for a city manager job in central Kansas, he never dreamed it would all come to an end two short years later. He was leaving Chanute (pop. 10,000), a Southeast Kansas town, for Hutchinson (pop. of 40,000) and replacing a well-respected manager who was retiring after holding the seat for 17 years.…

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Ep. 90 | Economic Development the Right Way with Kevin Phelps 1:09:59

10M ago1:09:59

1:09:59

City Manager Kevin Phelps and his team in Glendale, Arizona have put on a clinic when it comes to leveraging economic development. Since his arrival in 2016, the city has figuratively backed up the Brinks truck and filled their bank accounts with cash. Residents pay lower property taxes per unit of valuation today than they did when he took over. A…

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City Detect is Revolutionizing Code Enforcement with AI | Ep. 89 50:38

10M ago50:38

50:38

Join Gavin Baum-Blake, Co-founder and CEO of City Detect, on City Manager Unfiltered, where he discusses how AI and computer vision technology are revolutionizing urban management. With a background as a US Army veteran, an attorney, and an entrepreneur, Gavin brings a unique perspective to the ethical application of cutting-edge technology in tack…

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Joakim Haeggman – Sluta aldrig drömma 33:27

10M ago33:27

33:27

Jag träffar Joakim Haeggman, Sveriges första Ryder Cup-spelare, direkt efter att han avslutat Legends Tour-finalen på Mauritius – och han är rasande.By Martin Hardenberger Sverkas and the golf world

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Joe Turner Interviewed by Yucaipa City Manager Chris Mann | Ep. 88 1:28:55

10M ago1:28:55

1:28:55

Yucaipa City Manager Chris Mann invited yours truly, and Calimesa City Manager Will Kolbow, to sit down for an interview on the Yucaipa 360 podcast. The three of us discussed a variety of issues and subjects related to the city management profession and local government. This episode is a rebroadcast of that interview for my audience of listeners. …

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The Shared Administrator Experiment in Connecticut | Ep. 87 45:46

10M ago45:46

45:46

Three small towns in Connecticut are seeking to share an administrator -- the first time that something like this has ever been attempted according to the organization conducting the recruitment. Joining me on the podcast to discuss this innovative approach is Alex Torpey from the Edward J. Collins Center for Public Management at the University of …

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City Manager Wanted: Columbia Falls, Montana | Ep. 86 52:43

11M ago52:43

52:43

Stale, boring recruitment brochures are played out and offer little value for candidates seeking their next city or county manager opportunity. Many of them contain boiler plate language or rehash text used in a previous announcement for a different community. Isn't it time we re-imagine what a public sector executive recruitment should look like? …

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Level Up Your Career Using Andrew Patton's Networking Hack | Ep. 85 52:36

11M ago52:36

52:36

Public sector human resources can be an incredibly challenging environment to operate in for even the most seasoned director. It is another level of difficult when your previous experience in HR was at Amazon, one of the largest and fastest growing companies in the world. When Andrew Patton left Amazon and became the human resources director for La…

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My First 100 Days as City Manager with Chris Hoem | Ep. 84 52:22

11M ago52:22

52:22

Back in June, the City of Atwater hired Chris Hoem to be their next city manager. It was his first city manager gig and he was coming off of being terminated as a department head a few months before. This interview was conducted shortly after he had completed his first 100 days in the position in late October. We talked about his preparation and ho…

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The Municipal Financial Crisis with Mark Moses | Ep. 83 1:12:49

11M ago1:12:49

1:12:49

Mark Moses is the author of "The Municipal Financial Crisis" where he lays out a "framework for understanding and fixing government budgeting." Mark has some strong opinions on how local governments have gradually increased and broadened their scope of services to an unsustainable level and he kills off some sacred cows along the way diagnosing the…