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Ground Floor Government is the podcast for the people who make local government work—behind the scenes. Hosted by David Plappert, founder of PhoneLive.io, this show gives city and county clerks, IT leads, communication pros, and public servants their time at the mic. ㅤ Each week, we dig into what really keeps cities and counties running—last-minute meeting prep, tech shifts, team leadership, and the quiet but essential work of transparency and public service. If you’ve ever hit publish on a public notice, stayed late to prep a meeting, or solved a problem no one even saw coming, this show is
Based on 4 episodes we listened to · August 2026
Ground Floor Government turns career-path interviews with city clerks and communications staff into a practical, procedural view of how local government offices actually operate.
Ground Floor Government sits in the administrative layer of local government, following city clerks, communications staffers, and the people who handle public meetings, records requests, and city websites.
You like your civic lessons with open-records deadlines and someone calmly explaining the law to angry residents.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A steady, practical look at how curiosity and public service can turn an unexpected job into a local government career.
Shawn Campbell's path into local government starts at home, moves through work at her children's small private school in Seattle, and lands in a city clerk's office in a small community.
A practical look at how local government work becomes direct, everyday service.
Ground Floor Government follows Mark Massey's path into local government as a reminder that public service can start close to everyday community life.
A practical look at how Green Bay's first communications director helps city departments speak through their own expertise.
Local government communication gets a grounded test in this single-episode review of a role built to connect city government with the public. Hugh Plappert's conversation with Michael Bergman, Green Bay's first communications director, traces Bergman's move from a 26-year…
A grounded look at local government communications, customer service, and accessibility.
Local government communications gets a grounded treatment through the day-to-day pressures of a fast-growing city and Shelby Abner's path from journalism student to parks department PR intern to government communicator.
County government, translated into everyday Missoula life.
Shawn Campbell tells Hugh Plappert how she moved from being a stay-at-home mother to a city clerk after taking an administrative job in Bonnie Lake.
Ground Floor Government host Hugh Plappert interviews Mark Massey, clerk of council for Savannah, Georgia, about entering public service and managing legislative records.
Michael Bergman, Green Bay's first communications director, explains how he moved from 26 years in television news to local government after covering the city and its communities.
An interview with Chattanooga City Clerk Nicole Gwynn about her role and career path in local government.
Shelby Abner describes moving from journalism into local-government communications after taking a public-relations internship with a parks department.
Rosemarie Call traces her career from Florida citrus-disease grove work to administrative analysis in Clearwater’s city clerk department.
City manager Dr.
Host Hugh Plappert interviews William Whitson about his career journey from federal to local government, discussing challenges and lessons learned.
An interview with Dominic Bronkowski, the youngest elected city clerk in Des Plaines history, discussing his role and path into local government.
This episode explores how immigrants can get involved in local government, featuring a guest who is the daughter of Haitian immigrants and a young professional in public service.
An interview with Shirley Fox Knowles about navigating political, system, and career changes in local government.