Best of: Employee Onboarding Best Practices with Benjamin Mead-Harvey
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
Release Date: 08/01/2025
#690 Finance, Innovation, and Emerging Trends with Chris Morrill and Shayne Kavanagh, GFOA
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
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 funding. They shared why GFOA is changing its . They talked about a new finance innovation lab effort and their upcoming position. They also reflected on local government trends from the last 10 years. Host:
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#689 Communications in a Growing Town with Angela Wilson, Frederick, CO
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
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 expectations with new employees and her to onboarding new staff. Host:
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#688 Navigating a Career Path and Capital Projects with Ariana Adame, West Sacramento, CA
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
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 also shared the pro and cons of leaving an organization, how to leverage new hires from outside your organization, and her involvement in the Local Government Hispanic Network. Host:
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Best of: Employee Onboarding Best Practices with Benjamin Mead-Harvey
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
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 in three areas: welcome elements, training with the team, and onboarding check-in meetings. He also talked about the outcomes of onboarding that employers should be looking for and the details that matter for employees. Host:
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#687 Starting as a New County Manager and Building Culture with Josh Edwards, York County, SC
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
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 and the employee-driven core values for the organization. He also reflected on local government trends from the last 10 years. Host:
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#686 From the Fire House to the City Manager's Office with Bryan Dehner and Donna Lake
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
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 operate differently, and the importance of working regionally. Host:
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#685 10 Years of Local Government Stories with GovLove
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
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 hear from you! What do you think local government will look like in 10 years? Call the GovLove hotline and tell us (720) 282-1752. Your answer will be used in a future episode. Hosts: , , , , and
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#684 Fellowships and Lead for North Carolina with Dylan Russell, UNC School of Government
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
Dylan Russell, the Executive Director of 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 local governments can support and retain talent as well as how local government and prospective fellows can get involved in the fellowship program. Host:
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#683 Performance Excellence and Building a Premier Community with Polly Walker, Henderson, NV
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
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 . 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 to. She also shared her journey from entry level employee to department director, the City's emphasis on customer service, and how the City is still striving for excellence. Host:
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#682 Data Analysis and Artificial Intelligence with Rochelle Haynes and Carrie Bishop
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
Two guests joined the podcast to talk about the . 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 of local government problems solved through data analysis, what can hold cities back in their data journey and use cases for artificial intelligence in local government. Host:
info_outlineThis 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 in three areas: welcome elements, training with the team, and onboarding check-in meetings. He also talked about the outcomes of onboarding that employers should be looking for and the details that matter for employees.
Host: Kirsten Wyatt