#698 Cohesive Planning and Community Growth in Downers Grove, IL with with Jason Zawila and John Houseal
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
Release Date: 10/17/2025
#724 Gen Z in the Local Government Workplace with Emma Roniger and Jill Parsons
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
Two guests pursuing their Master's of Public Administration at the University of Kansas joined the podcast to talk about Gen Z in local government. Emma Roniger is a Management Intern for the League of Kansas Municipalities and Jill Parsons is a Management Intern for the City of Leawood, Kansas. They shared the biggest myth local governments have about their generation and responses they received for a survey regarding Gen Z. They also talked about how different generations can work together. Host:
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#723 Allyship and Building Connection, Adrianna Tušek Erickson, Chandler, AZ
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
Adrianna Tušek Erickson, Connection & Impact Program Coordinator for the City of Chandler, Arizona, joined the podcast to talk about connection and belonging. She discussed the importance of serving all residents in the community and why allyship is important. She shared the impact that changes from the Federal government have had her work. She also talked about the transition of reentering the workforce after a ten year break. Host:
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#722 Public Communications and Building Trust in Rural Communities with Nick Lemmer, Goodhue County, MN
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
Nick Lemmer, Outreach & Communications Specialist for Goodhue County, Minnesota joined the podcast to discuss public communications. He talked about the challenge and importance of building trust in rural communities. He shared rebranding projects from his past position, communicating cost shifts in reduced federal funding, and public communication related to data centers. Host:
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#721 How Participatory Mapping Can Transform Your Community with Emma Falkenstein, Highland Planning
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
Emma Falkenstein, Associate Planner at Highland Planning joined the podcast to discuss participatory mapping. She talked about community and how can local governments can incorporate walk audits into their regular planning procedures. She also talked about the value of community relationships as it relates to shaping where people live. Host:
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#720 Making Government Smarter with Cori Zarek, Apolitical
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
Cori Zarek, Vice President for North America at Apolitical joined the podcast to talk about her career in public interest technology and helping make government smarter. She shared how Apolitical is working to support peer learning among government staffers and a recent report they published on from organizations across the country. She also discussed the trends and insights they have found in how government staffers are using artificial intelligence and how organizations can support their staff. Host:
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#719 Healthcare Marketplaces and Local Government with Chachi Angelo, Pennie
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
Chachi Angelo, Director of External Affairs at Pennie, the State of Pennsylvania's Health Insurance Marketplace, joined the podcast to discuss how state healthcare marketplaces and local governments are interconnected. He shared what the healthcare marketplace does and how residents interact with it, how municipalities partner with Pennie during enrollment periods, and how to communicate in a way that builds trust at the local level. Host:
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#718 State of Behavioral Science in Government with Joseph Sherlock, King's College London
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
Joseph Sherlock, Assistant Professor of Behavioral Science and Public Policy at King's College London, joined the podcast to discuss the state of behavioral science in government. He talked about what is behavioral science and examples of how it has been applied in the public sector. Then he shared how the field is evolving and the importance of running experiments in your organization. Host:
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#717 Unifying Rural Fire Districts with Reno County, KS
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
Two guests from Reno County, Kansas joined the podcast to talk about the process behind unifying rural fire districts. Randy Partington is the County Administrator for Reno County and Adam Weishaar is the Director of Emergency Management for Reno County. They shared the challenges the fire districts were facing that led to the unification such as equipment, training, and staffing issues. Then they discussed the transition toward consolidation and lessons learned and takeaways from their experience. Host:
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#716 Building a People-Centered Workforce with Alex Lawrence, Boston, MA
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
Alex Lawrence, Chief People Officer for the City of Boston, Massachusetts, the podcast to talk about organizational change, development, and human resources. She discussed change management and the importance of communication for human resources. She shared how her background in innovation has influenced her career. She also reflected on local government trends from the last 10 years. Host:
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#715 How Not to Engage Historically Marginalized Communities with Chyanne Eyde, Washington, DC
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
Chyanne Eyde, Deputy Chief of School Planning for the Government of the District of Columbia joined the podcast to discuss how not to engage historically marginalized communities in public outreach. She shared difficulties she was having in engagement and how it was negatively impacting her work. She then discussed how the engagement process has evolved and lessons learned in engagement. Host:
info_outlineFour plans in one. Jason Zawila, Planning Manager at the Village of Downers Grove, Illinois and John Houseal, Partner at Houseal Lavigne joined the podcast to discuss the APA Award-Winning Village of Downers Grove Comprehensive Plan update. They discussed the concept of total community development and how the effort updated four plans at the same time, the Village's Comprehensive Plan, Active Transportation Plan, Environmental Sustainability Plan, and Downtown and Fairview Streetscapes Plan. They also talked about how the community was engaged during the process.
This episode was recorded at the American Planning Association – Illinois Chapter 2025 Annual Conference.
Host: Dan Bolin and Andy Cross