Local Gov Cafe
29 episodes listed below
PRESS PLAY
This podcast features conversations with leaders in policy, practice, consulting, and academia to put a spotlight on civic government and the people who make it all happen.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · June 2026
The Local Government Cafe Podcast makes municipal work legible through practical conversations about councils, staff culture, communications, and governance habits.
The Local Government Cafe Podcast is a practical show about municipal governance, with Susan Gardner and Ann Mitchell talking to people who know the machinery from the inside: council rooms, administration, consulting, academia, workplace culture, communications, and public…
You want municipal drama where the plot twist is better council orientation.
Press play if you want
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A grounded municipal leadership conversation about strategic plans, shifting priorities, and the discipline behind CAO work.
Bev Hendry comes across as a seasoned municipal leader, with more than 35 years in local government and past leadership roles with both the Ontario Municipal Administrators Association and the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators.
A practical look at how trust, recognition, and steady leadership reshaped Vaughan's public works culture.
The Local Government Cafe episode presents Vaughan's Public Works Department as a case study in municipal culture change. Zorn Pasta describes how the team started from very poor 2013 employee engagement results and then built a stronger workplace through a playbook, 2,300 hours…
A grounded discussion of unconscious bias, belonging, and authenticity, with humor used well.
Tina Varughese brings her own background as a child of immigrants into the discussion, and that is where the episode feels most grounded. The conversation works best when it ties unconscious bias to the daily work of belonging, authenticity, and civic life, rather than treating…
A plainspoken case for clearer councils, direct public contact, and less performative busyness.
George Cuff returns to a familiar municipal complaint: councils can spend plenty of time on boards, committees, and procedure without moving the community agenda forward.
A practical look at how municipal leaders can tell their own story and stay disciplined under pressure.
Grant Ainsley makes a plainspoken case for municipal communicators: with fewer reporters around and online criticism easier to spread, elected officials and administrators have to tell their own stories.
A practical anniversary conversation about municipal leadership, learning, and building a stronger team.
CAMA's 50th anniversary gives the episode a clear frame, and Tony Kolbiski, the association's president and Chief Administrative Officer for West Lawn County, Alberta, uses it to look back on how the organization has changed.
A steady local government HR conversation that treats empathy as a management tool, not a slogan.
Dr. Manjack frames local government human resources as a test of how well an organization treats people when pressure builds. She ties mattering, belonging, and safety to the everyday work of employee communication, management, and organizational friction, which gives the…
A steady look at why honest feedback only works when people can actually hear it.
This calm, practical conversation keeps accountability, trust, and feedback at the center of effective leadership in public service. Dr. Wilma Slenders treats constructive feedback as a judgment call shaped by the person, the moment, and a leader's emotional intelligence.
County government, translated into everyday Missoula life.
This episode features Bev Hendry, a retired CAO with over 35 years in local government, discussing her career journey from provincial roles to municipal leadership.
Dr.
Zorn Pasta discusses transforming Vaughan's Public Works Department from a low-engagement, fear-based culture in 2013 to achieving 70% staff engagement and high citizen satisfaction through leadership, trust-building, and innovative programs like the Golden Pylon awards.
Tony Kolbiski, President of CAMA, discusses the association's 50th anniversary, reflecting on its evolution and role in supporting municipal administrators across Canada.
Tina Varughese enters the cafe with candor.
Mark Mullally talks through COVID.
This episode of The Local Government Cafe Podcast features an interview with Andrew Sancton, a professor emeritus, discussing his report on development charges and their impact on housing affordability in Canadian municipalities like the GTA and Metro Vancouver.
This episode of The Local Government Cafe Podcast features an interview with Patricia Vincaze, a seasoned local government manager, discussing the challenges and opportunities in small and rural communities, with a focus on workforce recruitment and retention tactics.
This episode of The Local Government Cafe Podcast features Matt Osler, project manager for Surrey, discussing the development of an 80-year coastal flood adaptation strategy in response to climate change.
Grant Ainsley joins Susan Gardner and Ann Mitchell for a conversation about media training in municipal life.
Susan Gardner and Ann Mitchell welcome Tracy Lawrenson to the LocalGov Cafe.
Susan Gardner and Ann Mitchell welcome Dr.
George Cuff joins Susan Gardner and Ann Mitchell at the Local Gov Cafe for a practical conversation about municipal leadership.