Whether you are an emerging professional interested in making an impact in your community or someone who wishes to engage the questions and be a better steward for local government today, this is a podcast to satisfy appetites for deeper understanding of what it takes to manage in this challenging environment today. If you would like to get weekly updates from conversations inside the Pioneering Change Community, sign up HERE.
🎧 This episode of PCC Local Time is part of the APMM Series, featuring conversations with Pennsylvania’s municipal managers and leaders about the evolving practice of local government.In this episode on Sustainability, host Nancy Hess talks with three guests who are redefining what local sustainability looks like on the ground:Sara Gibson, Borough Manager, Camp Hill...
PCC Local Time is pleased to share another episode of a new podcast series, Generation on the Rise, a great companion piece to the content we post here and something we think you are all going to like. In this podcast series, local government’s next generation sits down to talk about what’s changing, what’s hard,...
PCC Local Time is pleased to share the the first episode of a new podcast series, Generation on the Rise, a great companion piece to the content we post here and something we think you are all going to like. In this podcast series, local government’s next generation sits down to talk about what’s changing,...
In this episode of PCC Local Time, produced in collaboration with the Association of Pennsylvania Municipal Management (APMM), host Nancy Hess explores the evolving relationship between universities and their surrounding communities — the so-called “Town Gown” connection. Our guests — borough managers from three Pennsylvania university towns — reflect on how they navigate both the...
In the first MuniSquare Book discussioin Podcast, colleagues dive into Paul Bloom’s provocative book Against Empathy. Bloom argues that emotional empathy can mislead us, create bias, and open us to manipulation. Instead, he proposes cultivating rational compassion. Our panel wrestles with the book’s claims—exploring empathy’s role in public service, the ethics of neutrality, manipulation of...
In this episode of PCC Local Time, we sit down with three dynamic municipal leaders from southeastern Pennsylvania—John Ernst (Lansdale Borough), Amanda Lafty (Upper Merion Township), and Dave Burman (Haverford Township). Representing three generations of managers, they dive into the hard questions facing local governments today: housing instability, generational workforce changes, the role of social...
This is the first episode of the APMM 2025 podcast series featuring regional roundtables. We are joined by three municipal managers: Greg Primm from Lower Burrell, Kristen Denne from Bethel Park, and Seth Abrams from Forest Hills. We talk about emotional resilience and the personal toll of being the buffer when tensions arise, the importance...
In this episode of PCC Local Time, Nancy Hess talks with Mike Baumwoll, co-founder and CEO of Rep’d, about how short-form video and authentic communication are transforming how local governments engage with their communities. From AI-driven script tools to lessons from Twitter and the entrepreneurial world, Mike shares actionable insights on how municipal leaders can...
This is a cross-over podcast episode from our Substack site MuniSquare. We hope you will enjoy and follow subscribe if you like what you see. In this episode Nancy Hess and Mike Rowe from the University of Liverpool explore James C. Scott’s groundbreaking book “Seeing Like a State” and its powerful implications for local government....
A few weeks ago, APMM concluded another successful conference in Lancaster Pennsylvania. This episode is a recording from one of the sessions and is part of the 2025 APMM series. In this session, four past presidents of APMM open up about what it means to lead while legacy still shapes the norms. With humor, honesty,...