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#718 State of Behavioral Science in Government with Joseph Sherlock, King's College London

GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

Release Date: 03/06/2026

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

GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

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: 

info_outline #740 Equity in Action and Supporting Small Businesses with Aleea Slappy Wilson, Norfolk, VA show art #740 Equity in Action and Supporting Small Businesses with Aleea Slappy Wilson, Norfolk, VA

GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

Aleea Slappy Wilson, Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer for the City of Norfolk, Virginia, 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: 

info_outline #739 Celebrating America's 250 with Tim Reavis, Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission show art #739 Celebrating America's 250 with Tim Reavis, Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission

GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

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: 

info_outline #738 City Management and Public Works with Ginger Spencer, Phoenix, AZ show art #738 City Management and Public Works with Ginger Spencer, Phoenix, AZ

GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

Ginger Spencer, Assistant City Manager at the City of Phoenix, Arizona, 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: 

info_outline #737 George Floyd Square, When Infrastructure Becomes Sacred Space with Alex Kado, Minneapolis, MN show art #737 George Floyd Square, When Infrastructure Becomes Sacred Space with Alex Kado, Minneapolis, MN

GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

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 , 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: 

info_outline #736 Public Servant Pulse and the People of Government with Dr. Elizabeth Linos, Harvard Kennedy School show art #736 Public Servant Pulse and the People of Government with Dr. Elizabeth Linos, Harvard Kennedy School

GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

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 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...

info_outline #735 Government is People and Culture in Action with Michael Baskin, Montgomery County, MD show art #735 Government is People and Culture in Action with Michael Baskin, Montgomery County, MD

GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

Michael Baskin, Chief Innovation Officer for Montgomery County, Maryland joined the podcast to discuss the future of local government innovation and understanding organizational culture. He talked about the importance of process improvement and what our processes tell government employees. He discussed his perspective on the importance of people in local government and creating a culture where ideas can be challenged. He also shared how the County prioritizes leadership development and coaching. Host: 

info_outline #734 Managing Growth with Dianne Miller, Eagan, MN and Justin Miller, Lakeville, MN show art #734 Managing Growth with Dianne Miller, Eagan, MN and Justin Miller, Lakeville, MN

GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

Two guests joined the podcast to talk about managing growth and a two-career local government household. Dianne Miller is the City Administrator at City of Eagan, Minnesota and Justin is the City Administrator for the City of Lakeville, Minnesota. They shared the impact of Operation Metro Surge, moratoriums on housing and data centers, and potential career changes. This episode was recoded at the 2026 MCMA Annual Conference in Brainerd, MN.  Host: 

info_outline #733 Building an Empowering Culture with James Childers, Flower Mound, TX show art #733 Building an Empowering Culture with James Childers, Flower Mound, TX

GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

James Childers, Town Manager for the Town of Flower Mound, Texas joined the podcast to discuss building an empowering organizational culture. He talked about his career path in local government and shared his family history in the city management profession. He discussed getting to know and then setting the culture as a new Town Manager. He also talked about the Town's  and how the Town approaches community engagement. Host: 

info_outline #732 Developing Talent and Reflections Before Retirement with Scott Neal, Edina, MN show art #732 Developing Talent and Reflections Before Retirement with Scott Neal, Edina, MN

GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government

Scott Neal, City Manager for the City of Edina, Minnesota, rejoined the podcast to share his insights on local government leadership and the future of the profession before retirement. He discussed changes he has seen in local government over his career including how technology has changed community engagement and policing. He talked about his focus on developing talent and the importance of giving staff leadership opportunities. He also shared mistakes he's made along the way and learned from. This episode was recoded at the 2026 MCMA Annual Conference in Brainerd, MN.  Host: 

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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: Toney Thompson