Community Catalysts

What does local government look like to someone whose job is to watch it closely, ask difficult questions, and explain its decisions to everyone else? Mary Ramsey, local government accountability reporter for The...

What happens when someone enters public service to improve one part of their community and discovers a responsibility to the whole? Nick Rutledge, Mayor of Moody, Alabama, began his career as an apprentice carpenter and...

What if the first responsibility of leadership isn't solving problems, but creating the conditions where people feel safe enough to face them? Matt Sandoval, CEO of Art Heals Arizona, believes that trust, connection...

What does it mean to lead people who deeply value independence while recognizing that no community succeeds alone? Raised on his family's ranch in rural Wyoming, Governor Mark Gordon learned early that responsibility...

What happens when someone driven by personal conviction steps into the broader responsibility of governing an entire community? Liz Campos came to public service through decades of advocacy on behalf of people with...

How do communities build trust, navigate disagreement, and make difficult decisions that people can genuinely support? After nearly a decade as superintendent of Northfield Public Schools, Matt Hillmann is preparing to...

What does it take to help young people see themselves as future leaders, public servants, and changemakers? Sarah Jakle believes leadership begins long before someone runs for office. As founder of the nonprofit...

<p > What does it take to help young people see themselves as future leaders, public servants, and changemakers?</p> <p >Sarah Jakle believes leadership begins long before someone runs for office. As founder of the...

What does it take to lead when people are anxious, frustrated, or losing faith in public institutions? Mayor Alyia Gaskins believes leadership begins by helping people feel heard. In this conversation, she shares how...

<p >What does it take to lead when people are anxious, frustrated, or losing faith in public institutions?</p> <p >Mayor Alyia Gaskins believes leadership begins by helping people feel heard. In this conversation, she...

<p>What happens when a leader holds someone accountable without diminishing them?</p> <p>In Part 2 of this conversation, Wayne Handley shares a formative experience from early in his law enforcement career that...

<p >What is a leader's first responsibility? Drawing on lessons from the Marine Corps, law enforcement, counseling, and local government, Wayne Handley, PhD, shares one of the most important insights of his leadership...

<p >What happens when someone trained in the demanding world of aerospace engineering and large-scale operations steps into local government, where decisions are shaped not only by data and systems, but by politics...

<p >After nearly three decades on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Penny Gross reflects on the changing realities of public leadership in one of America's largest local governments. This conversation explores...

<p >In this special 100th episode of Community Catalysts, Matt Lehrman of Social Prosperity Partners reflects on the deeper lessons that have emerged from 100 conversations with civic leaders across the country. Drawing...