“Leadership Pipelines and Public Trust” with Dr. Peter Noonan, Executive Director, Washington Area Schools Study Council
Release Date: 10/07/2025
“Trust is the True Infrastructure of Local Government” with Matthew Johnson, Town Manager, Jamestown, NC
Community Catalysts
Trust is easy to take for granted until it is tested. In this candid conversation, Matthew Johnson, Town Manager of Jamestown, reflects on key moments that shaped his understanding of public trust, from an early misstep in a rezoning meeting to navigating community division, misinformation, and leadership turnover during a once-in-a-generation development decision. Johnson explores what it means to lead professionally when decisions feel personal, why trust is the real infrastructure that sustains local government, and how curiosity, relationship-building, and steady presence can help leaders...
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“The Next Generation of Local Leadership” with Vice Chair Maureen Coffey, Arlington County, Virginia
Community Catalysts
Expectations of local leadership are changing—and this conversation helps explain how and why. Vice Chair Maureen Coffey reflects on stepping into office as the youngest person ever elected to the Arlington County Board, what it took to earn trust, and what surprised her once she was in the role——while navigating barriers that aren’t always visible, but still shape who feels welcomed into leadership and who has to work harder to be heard. This episode is part of a monthly series sponsored by RELI – the Regional Elected Leaders Initiative at George Mason University’s Schar School of...
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“Our Shared Purpose” with Matt Lehrman, Social Prosperity Partners
Community Catalysts
As 2025 draws to a close, Community Catalysts host Matt Lehrman offers a heartfelt reflection on gratitude, leadership, and the promise of local democracy. In this special Thanksgiving message, he reminds us that the future of our nation depends not on distant politics, but on how neighbors come together to listen, deliberate, and lead in the places we call home. Disagreement, Matt observes, isn’t a failure — it’s proof that democracy is alive. And when we meet one another with patience, humility, and respect, we keep that promise alive for generations to come. Community Catalysts will...
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“Unlearning Partisanship” with Councilmember Brenda Kalivianakis, Fountain Hills, Arizona
Community Catalysts
Councilmember Brenda Kalivianakis of Fountain Hills, Arizona, entered local government as part of a conservative majority determined to “reclaim” their town. What she didn’t expect was how quickly loyalty could turn into pressure — or how strongly she’d resist being told how to vote. In this candid conversation, Brenda traces her evolution from partisan recruit to independent thinker, describing what happens when national-style politics collide with small-town governance. She talks about being urged to “toe the line,” about donors demanding refunds, and about the moment she...
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“Success Is Quiet” with Brooks Williams, City Manager, Ferris, Texas
Community Catalysts
In public service, real success isn’t measured in headlines or applause. It’s in the city that still runs, the crisis that never came, and the community that quietly thrives because someone cared enough to do the hard work well. Brooks Williams—City Manager of Ferris, Texas—has become a nationally followed voice on LinkedIn for the way he writes about local government with honesty, humility, and heart. His posts capture what it feels like to lead under pressure, to balance ideals with reality, and to keep faith with a profession too often taken for granted. In this episode, Brooks...
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“The Long Game of Leadership” with Dave Albo, Former Member, Virginia House of Delegates
Community Catalysts
For nearly 24 years, Dave Albo represented Northern Virginia in the Virginia House of Delegates—including 12 years as chairman of the influential House Courts of Justice Committee, where every word of law was debated for its impact on real people. A lifelong Republican known for his diligence and attention to detail, Albo helped craft Virginia’s largest-ever transportation funding package in 2013, a process that took eight years of persistence, negotiation, and listening across party lines. In this conversation, he reflects on how patient, practical leadership can reconcile deeply held...
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“Sometimes a Hammer, Sometimes a Feather” with Mayor Bill Danielson, Irmo, SC
Community Catalysts
Bill Danielson never imagined himself in politics. After more than 35 years in business, he was encouraged to run for Irmo Town Council—and in 2023, he stepped into the mayor’s office. In Irmo—a town of 12,000 that collects neither sales tax nor property tax—the challenge of funding local government depends on business partnerships, careful budgeting, and steady leadership. Bill calls himself a “hammer” personality—pushing hard to get things done. But in public office, he’s discovered the equal importance of the feather: listening carefully, choosing words thoughtfully, and...
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“Welcome Fearless Leaders” with Milton Brown, School Board Member, Washington County, FL
Community Catalysts
Milton Brown never planned on serving on a school board. His first career was in law enforcement, where he survived multiple life-threatening encounters—including one that ended his service with the Florida Highway Patrol. Returning home to Washington County, Florida, he became a pastor and eventually stepped into education leadership. His election came down to the wire—flipping from an eight-vote loss to a seven-vote win after a recount. And ever since, Milton has carried the same message he offered when I first met him at the Florida School Boards Association: “Welcome, fearless...
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“Theater Is Community” with Pamme Jones, Ridgefield Theater Barn (CT)
Community Catalysts
What does it take to transform a small-town community theater into a thriving cultural force? For Pamme Jones, Executive and Artistic Director of the Ridgefield Theater Barn, it started not with a budget or a building plan—but with a conversation about values. In this episode, Pamme shares the remarkable 15-year journey that began with a micromanaging board and a debate over light bulbs, and evolved into a bold, inclusive vision grounded in three core values: inclusion, respect, and joy. You’ll hear how Pamme helped lead a cultural and organizational transformation—navigating painful...
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“Leadership Pipelines and Public Trust” with Dr. Peter Noonan, Executive Director, Washington Area Schools Study Council
Community Catalysts
Dr. Peter Noonan has served in senior education leadership roles across Northern Virginia, including assistant superintendent in Fairfax County, superintendent of City of Fairfax Schools, and superintendent of Falls Church City Public Schools. Now, as Executive Director of the Washington Area Schools Study Council, he’s focused on two urgent challenges: building pipelines to prepare the next generation of superintendents and school board members, and helping communities re-engage with public education in the wake of COVID. In this episode, Dr. Noonan reflects on the three eras of...
info_outlineDr. Peter Noonan has served in senior education leadership roles across Northern Virginia, including assistant superintendent in Fairfax County, superintendent of City of Fairfax Schools, and superintendent of Falls Church City Public Schools. Now, as Executive Director of the Washington Area Schools Study Council, he’s focused on two urgent challenges: building pipelines to prepare the next generation of superintendents and school board members, and helping communities re-engage with public education in the wake of COVID.
In this episode, Dr. Noonan reflects on the three eras of leadership—pre-COVID, during the pandemic, and the years since—sharing how expectations for trust and transparency have shifted, and what it takes for leaders to hold fast to their values while keeping their communities engaged. His insights are grounded in schools but resonate with anyone working to strengthen public institutions.
This episode is made possible by the Regional Elected Leaders Initiative (RELI) at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government.
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Produced by Social Prosperity Partners