We Love Where You Live

Host: Anthony Minghine, Deputy Executive Director & COO, Michigan Municipal League

Guest: Monica Galloway, Councilmember, Flint

Tony talks with Flint Councilmember Monica Galloway about the impact that lost revenue sharing has had on her city's finances. As she became more aware of the seriousness and complexity of the municipal finance issue, she decided to join the first group of local government officials to become trained as SaveMiCity Ambassadors. The ambassador program provides local officials with the knowledge and presentation skills they need to educate lawmakers and the public on our state's broken municipal finance system. Learn more on our SaveMICity website.

Host:
Matt Bach, Director of Communications, Michigan Municipal League

Guest:
Former State Rep. Rob VerHeulen (R-Walker)

At the Michigan Municipal League's 2019 Capital Conference, former State Rep. Rob VerHeulen was honored with one of the League's 2019 Legislative Awards of Merit. In the State House, VerHeulen was a tireless advocate of local government through his role helping shape the General Government budget, personal property tax legislation, work on local court funding concerns, and the costs associated with the new Indigent Defense Commission standards. In this episode, VerHeulen talks about what it means to him to be honored by the League for his legislative service.

Hosts:
Emily Kieliszewski, Membership Engagement Specialist, Michigan Municipal League
Matt Bach, Director of Communications, Michigan Municipal League

Guests:
Paula Zelenko, Mayor, Burton
Mark Vanderpool, City Manager, Sterling Heights

On this episode of Limelight, we sit down with two of our award winners at the League's 2019 Capital Conference. Paula Zelenko was honored with the Michael A. Guido Leadership and Public Service Award. And Mark Vanderpool was honored with the Jim Sinclair Exceptional Service Award. Learn more about the accomplishments of these two municipal leaders that earned them these distinguished awards.

 

Host:
Dan Gilmartin, CEO and Executive Director, Michigan Municipal League

Guest:
Dr. Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer, Executive Director, National Institute for Civil Discourse

At the Michigan Municipal League's 2019 Capital Conference, Dr. Lukensmeyer was a featured speaker on civil discourse, presenting strategies for tough conversations with community members, councilmembers, and legislators. In this podcast, Dan Gilmartin sits down with Dr. Lukensmeyer to delve a little deeper into navigating the uncertainty of the current political climate. 

Host:
Matt Bach, Director of Communications, Michigan Municipal League

Guests:
State Sen. Jim Stamas (R-Midland)
State Rep. Jim Lilly (R-Macatawa)

State Sen. Jim Stamas (R-Midland) and State Rep. Jim Lilly (R-Macatawa) were honored with Michigan Municipal League's 2019 Legislators of the Year Award at Capital Conference. On this episode, they talked about the key legislation they've worked on with the League and the value of placemaking in Michigan communities. 

Host: Anthony Minghine, Deputy Executive Director & COO, Michigan Municipal League

Guest: Lynn Markland, Michigan Municipal Executives President and Fenton City Manager

If you visit Fenton, Michigan, you may see a community that seems to be doing pretty well. There are new buildings and businesses downtown and its many restaurants are packed pretty much on any given evening. But Fenton is like any other Michigan community in that just below the surface it’s struggling. Years of disinvestment by the state into Michigan communities has taken its toll on every Michigan community, including Fenton. Fenton City Manager Lynn Markland sits down with the League’s Anthony Minghine to give the “in the trenches” perspective about Michigan’s broken system for funding its communities. Markland is a big supporter of the League’s SaveMICity initiative – so much that the topic of the broken system was recently covered in-depth in Fenton’s local newspaper. Minghine and Markland talk about that and how Markland recently became the 2019 president of the Michigan Municipal Executives. It’s a great conversation and definitely worth your time.

Host:
Emily Kieliszewski, Membership Engagement Specialist, Michigan Municipal League

Guests:
Kelly Breen, Councilmember, Novi
Theresa Rich, Councilmember, Farmington Hills

Human trafficking is real and it's happening in Michigan, perhaps even right in front of you. According to state statistics, it is the second largest criminal enterprise in Michigan – eclipsed only by drugs. On this episode of Limelight, Councilmembers Kelly Breen (Novi) and Theresa Rich (Farmington Hills) discuss their efforts to start the conversation at the local government level. That's important because our communities are where the activity actually happens. To learn more, listeners are welcome to attend the Human Trafficking and Our Community Town Hall at the Novi Civic Center on Thursday, April 11. 

 

 

Hosts:
Dan Gilmartin, CEO & Executive Director, Michigan Municipal League
Melanie Piana, President, Michigan Municipal League Board of Trustees; Councilmember, Ferndale

Guest:
Jennifer Nichols, Assistant Director of Research Interpretation and Application, FrameWorks Institute

Jennifer Nichols was a main stage presenter at the Michigan Municipal League's 2019 Capital Conference. Following her presentation, she sat down with Dan Gilmartin and Melanie Piana to recap some of the messaging insights she has learned over the years. In a nut shell, culture shapes the way we all think about the world and can cause some messages to be misinterpreted. Nichols works with all types of organizations to help them frame messaging that fills in the blanks and encourages people to think more deeply about issues.

Host: Matt Bach, Communications Director, Michigan Municipal League

Guests:

Andrew Brisbo, Director, Bureau of Marijuana Regulation, Michigan Dept. of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs

Jennifer Rigterink, Legislative Associate, Michigan Municipal League

Michigan Municipal League’s Matt Bach and Jennifer Rigterink sit down with Andrew Brisbo, who is the head of Michigan’s recreational marijuana bureau through LARA. We discuss the efforts of his office to regulate the industry approved by voters in November. Will they be ready to start licensing recreational marijuana businesses by the December deadline? Tune in to find out and get other answers related to the new law and Michigan’s communities.

 

Host: Matt Bach, Director of Communications, Michigan Municipal League

Guests:
Amy Snow-Buckner, Managing Director of Communications, City of Grand Rapids
Det. James Thorburn, Detective and Social Media Director, City of Allen Park

We’re unofficially changing the name of this podcast to Social Media, Huh? – just for today. We’re shifting the focus of the conversation a bit from politics to social media use among local governments. The League’s communications director, Matt Bach, is joined by avid social media user for the City of Grand Rapids – Amy Snow-Buckner – and City of Allen Park Police Det. James Thorburn. It’s a funny and light conversation about the power of social media for local governments, using humor in building an audience, and lessons learned along the way.