#741 Leading With Empathy with Melissa Murphy Rodrigues, North Andover, MA

Cassie Johnson, Interim General Manager of WestWorld for the City of Scottsdale, Arizona joined the podcast to discuss her transition from the Police Department to the City's equestrian event center. She talked about wanting to take on interim assignments to build her leadership skills and how her management and professional skillset from the Police Department transferred to her new role. She also talked about the operations of WestWorld as a special event venue with events as varied as rodeos and horse shows to camps and concerts. Host: Ben Kittelson

Chase Bruton, Town Manager for the Town of Yorktown, Indiana joined the podcast to discuss emergency management and preview the upcoming ELGL Gov Grand Prix Conference. He shared how the town responded to recent flooding, upcoming infrastructure projects, and exciting things to do in Indianapolis during the ELGL conference. Host: Lauren Palmer

Jay Lockaby is a Transportation Supervising Engineer in the Traffic Signals Unit within the Connecticut Department of Transportation Division of Traffic Engineering. He joined the podcast to talk about what the work of traffic engineering involves and his work across the State partnering with local communities to manage traffic. He shared how he has worked with communities to support vision zero or pedestrian initiatives and deploying new connected vehicle technology. He also discussed roundabouts, including the safety benefits and the communications and engagement challenge those projects can pose. Host: Marissa Baum

Casey Lucius, City Manager for the City of Marco Island, Florida joined the podcast to discuss her transition into the City Manager role and into local government. She talked about her career path which has included time as a Naval Intelligence Officer and in the State Department as well as serving as a City Council Member. She discussed her transition from being Assistant City Manager to the City Manager, changes she is implementing as City Manager, and the City's upcoming bond election. Host: Ben Kittelson

Melissa Murphy Rodrigues, Town Manager at the Town of North Andover, Massachusetts joined the podcast to discuss leading with empathy. She talked about what leading with empathy actually looks like in government leadership and a powerful example involving North Andover's flag policy and what became an emotionally charged moment in the community. She also shared advice she would give about leading with empathy while still making tough decisions. Host: Marissa Baum

Aleea Slappy Wilson, Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer for the City of Norfolk, Virginia, rejoined the podcast to discuss the work of equity and economic inclusion through supporting small businesses. She shared the work of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Norfolk including the City's Bon Appétit Initiative and Equity Ambassadors program. She talked about the scrutiny equity work has been under and the impact of the current political environment. She also reflected on local government trends from the last 10 years. Host: Ben Kittelson

Tim Reavis, Senior Multimodal Transportation Planner for the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, joined the podcast to discuss celebrating America's 250th birthday. He shared the story behind the Washington County quilt, how he was able to get the other 29 counties and one parish on board, and the special history behind each quilt square. Host: Lauren Palmer

Ginger Spencer, Assistant City Manager at the City of Phoenix, Arizona, rejoined the podcast to discuss leadership, public works, and her career path. She shared lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, the creation of the City's Office of Accountability and Transparency, and the importance of water and conservation. She also reflected on local government trends from the last 10 years. Host: Ben Kittelson

Alex Kado, Senior Project Manager in the Office of Public Service for the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota, jointed the podcast to share the history and process of creating a public memorial at the location of George Floyd's murder. He discussed the public process for creating George Floyd Square, including determining the use for Peoples' Way, the former gas station at the site. He also shared lessons learned from working on such a complex project. Host: Lauren Palmer

Dr. Elizabeth Linos, Professor of Public Policy and Management at the Harvard Kennedy School and Faculty Director at The People Lab, joined the podcast to discuss the Public Servant Project an effort to collect and analyze data about the people of government. She talked about the Public Service Pulse a survey for local and state government employees to understand their experience and perspective. She shared how the results will be shared and what kinds of analysis she's hoping to do. She also discussed a recent report on how government workers are viewed by the public, including the differences between different roles. Host: Ben Kittelson