Latest Cityissues Podcast Episodes
You Can Accomplish Big Things in a Small City
LMC City Speak - January 26, 2024 06:01 - 12 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsEvan Vogel worked in state government before shifting to city administrator in Cambridge. Hear how he strives to make big things happen in his small city and creates a culture of appreciation for the hard work and talent of his city’s staff. Episode transcript (pdf)
Holy Mackerel I Need to Plan for This
LMC City Speak - January 12, 2024 06:01 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsDianne Miller has worked in Eagan for 20 years — first as an intern now as city administrator. She shares her leadership journey and how being curious helped build her expertise and how setting boundaries brought balance to her life. Episode transcript (pdf).
Balancing My Core Values
LMC City Speak - December 22, 2023 06:01 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsLaurie Hokkanen worked for Chanhassen and moved on to several other roles and cities before returning to Chanhassen as the current city manager. Hear how those experiences helped build her confidence, understand the difference between formal and informal leadership, and reinforce the importance...
From 545 Bosses to 5
LMC City Speak - December 08, 2023 06:01 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsElizabeth Torkelson shares her career transition from working in the Library of Congress to her new role as city administrator in Olivia. Hear how her experience at the federal level taught her the importance of being a resource and building relationships at the local level, and also how to dis...
I Felt Like I Could Do More in Public Service
LMC City Speak - November 17, 2023 15:57 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsSharon Hanson shares how she took on the first county coordinator position with Pipestone County and after 13 years there decided to make the leap to become the Marshall city administrator. Hear why she made the switch, and how good communication, teamwork, and strong connections have helped he...
Don’t Underestimate the Value of Showing Up
LMC City Speak - October 31, 2023 05:01 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsFaith Jackson, Bloomington’s first chief equity and inclusion officer, is a realist who has had some great successes in her work while also understanding she won’t achieve all her goals during her job tenure. Hear how her work in Bloomington is making progress in advancing racial equity and hel...
Life Taught Me That I Have to Be Strong
LMC City Speak - October 13, 2023 05:00 - 11 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsMankato Mayor Najwa Massad shares how her experiences as an immigrant and small business owner shaped her outlook on life and her role as mayor. Hear how living in a war zone, starting over in Mankato, and working in hospitality helped her learn to be strong, to lead by example, and realize not...
Bringing Fresh Eyes to the White Bear Way
LMC City Speak - September 29, 2023 05:00 - 13 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsWhen Lindy Crawford became the city manager of White Bear Lake two years ago, she shifted from being an expert on many things to managing and leading the experts. Hear how she handled that transition and allowed staff and officials time to adapt to change while bringing a fresh set of ideas and...
Learning to Get Out of the Way
LMC City Speak - September 15, 2023 05:01 - 13 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsBrad Martens transitioned from working in a small community where he wore many hats to being the city manager in Shoreview with long-tenured department heads. Hear how he learned to get out of the way and let the experts do their jobs, honor their work as they retire, and thoughtfully choreogra...
Grateful for Guidance
LMC City Speak - September 01, 2023 05:01 - 11 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsDuluth Chief Administrative Officer Noah Schuchman shares how having a network of city leaders was instrumental in helping him when starting out in his career in city government and when he made an unconventional career shift. Learn how he cracked the code on the importance of getting and giving...
New Season: Focusing on Leadership
LMC City Speak - August 25, 2023 05:01 - 42 seconds ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsWe're kicking off a new season of the City Speak podcast starting Sept. 1! Join host Luke Fischer, executive director of the League of Minnesota Cities, as he talks with city stafe and elected officials who are new to leadership roles or who are going through a leadership transition in their com...
I Wish I Could Say I’ve Never Made That Mistake
LMC City Speak - December 24, 2021 11:00 - 10 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsCrystal City Manager Anne Norris recalls how a budget process gone wrong provided a painful lesson on the importance of clear communication. She shares how owning the mistake helped rebuild trust with city officials and the community. Episode Transcript (pdf)
I Wasn’t Engaging the Community
LMC City Speak - December 10, 2021 11:00 - 11 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsBuffalo Mayor Teri Lachermeier shares how a city redevelopment project taught her the importance of getting community input. She also describes her method to ensure people feel their opinion is heard. Episode Transcript (pdf)
Staying Plugged In
LMC City Speak - November 26, 2021 11:00 - 10 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsChatfield Clerk Joel Young shares how seeing others become downtrodden and cynical reinforced the importance of maintaining connections and relationships with others in local government. He also reveals the one word that has helped him through some stressful times. Episode Transcript (pdf)
Mistakes Are Just Part of the Job
LMC City Speak - November 12, 2021 11:00 - 9 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsBiwabik Mayor Jim Weikum shares how a mistake he made taught him the importance of doing your homework and anticipating the perspectives of others. He also talks with us about a simple practice that can help elected leaders work successfully with each other. Episode Transcript (pdf)
Yeah, That Probably Wasn’t the Best Way to Handle It
LMC City Speak - October 29, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsMelrose City Administrator Colleen Winter talks with us about leadership lessons the pandemic has taught her. She shares how these experiences reinforced the importance of active listening and ensuring people feel heard along the way. Episode Transcript (pdf)
The Importance of Words
LMC City Speak - October 15, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsWyoming Mayor Lisa Iverson shares how a ride-along in a squad car gave her a new perspective on decision-making, and how the words she chooses in her city leadership role can help the public understand council action. Episode Transcript (pdf)
Everyone Needs a Buddy
LMC City Speak - October 01, 2021 10:00 - 10 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsWadena Police Chief Naomi Plautz talks with us about the big role that mentors played in her leadership journey, and why we all need to have a buddy to support us and help do the hard things together. Episode Transcript (pdf)
Not Every Idea Is a Good Idea
LMC City Speak - September 17, 2021 10:00 - 9 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsMarshall Mayor Bob Byrnes chats with us about a leadership lesson that taught him the importance of embracing community input, and shares what keeps him going after nearly 30 years of serving his city. Episode transcript (pdf)
Failing Forward
LMC City Speak - September 03, 2021 10:00 - 9 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsBaudette Clerk-Treasurer Tina Rennemo chats with us about lessons she’s learned in her career. She shares the importance of learning by making mistakes, and explains how focusing on the great things happening in her city helps her stay positive. Episode Transcript (pdf)
Don’t Lose Sight of the Things That Aren’t on Fire
LMC City Speak - August 20, 2021 05:30 - 12 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsBrooklyn Park Fire Chief and President of the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association T. John Cunningham shares stories from his experiences as a public sector leader and some of the valuable lessons he’s learned. Cunningham also shares his advice on surrounding yourself with supportive peers an...
My First Leadership Test and I Didn’t Even Know It
LMC City Speak - July 30, 2021 11:00 - 13 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsThis teaser episode for season four of The City Speak features League of Minnesota Cities Executive Director Dave Unmacht. Dave shares a story about a surprise meeting early in his career where he learned that his transition to a new role was not going well. Hear how that feedback helped to shap...
2021 Legislative Series: Responding to COVID-19
LMC City Speak - January 15, 2021 15:56 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsIn this episode — one of three in a legislative series — League intergovernmental relations (IGR) representatives Daniel Lightfoot and Ann Lindstrom address federal support for cities responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss the need for any future aid to be disbursed directly to cities...
2021 Legislative Series: Addressing Racial Inequities
LMC City Speak - January 15, 2021 06:30 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsIn this episode — one of three in a legislative series — you’ll hear about the League’s new racial equity legislative policy. League Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) Counsel Irene Kao and IGR Representative Craig Johnson explain how the policy was developed, and how it can be used to address eq...
2021 Legislative Series: Responding to Economic Challenges
LMC City Speak - January 15, 2021 06:30 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsIn this episode — one of three in a legislative series — you’ll hear about economic issues affecting cities that will likely be discussed in the 2021 legislative session. League Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) Director Gary Carlson and Assistant IGR Director Anne Finn share updates on the stat...
Two League Interns Talk Race Equity
LMC City Speak - January 08, 2021 06:30 - 11 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsLeague of Minnesota Cities intern and college senior Laurel Poole takes over the hosting duties in this bonus episode, interviewing fellow intern and classmate Elijah Henderson. Henderson spent the summer focusing on research for the League’s race equity initiatives, including conducting intervi...
Focus on the Windshield, Not the Rearview Mirror
LMC City Speak - October 30, 2020 05:30 - 23 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsAs we approach the general election and the end of 2020, we check in with Brad Wiersum, president of the League of Minnesota Cities and mayor of Minnetonka. Wiersum shares valuable lessons he’s learned while in office and offers practical advice for newly elected officials just starting out on t...
Talking Elections with David Maeda
LMC City Speak - October 16, 2020 05:30 - 28 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsWe talk with David Maeda, director of elections for the Minnesota Office of Secretary of State, who gives us the lowdown on all things elections – including safety and security of the voting process, absentee voting and naked ballots, and when we can expect final election results. David reveals ...
Partner Podcast: Center of Everywhere with Dave Unmacht
LMC City Speak - October 09, 2020 05:30 - 46 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsWe wanted to share with our listeners this Center of Everywhere podcast episode from our partners at the Center for Rural Policy and Development and featuring our own Dave Unmacht, executive director of the League of Minnesota Cities. Dave discusses the challenges and opportunities facing Minnes...
Protecting the Mental Health of First Responders
LMC City Speak - October 02, 2020 05:30 - 29 minutes ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsCommunity first responders are repeatedly exposed to trauma, and that trauma can take its toll. Dan Willis, retired police captain and author of Bulletproof Spirit, talks with us about proactive wellness strategies for first responders. He explains the cultural shift needed to emphasize emotiona...
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