Community Catalysts

"From One City to State Law" with Fredericksburg, VA Vice Mayor Charlie Frye Jr.

Charlie Frye arrived on the Fredericksburg City Council with something unusual: a handwritten plan in a composition book for addressing gun violence in his community. A

"IT Is Public Safety" with Richland, Washington IT Director Chad Goodhue

Imagine arriving at work tomorrow morning to discover that your organization's computer network is simply gone. What stops working? If you lead a city, county, school

Be a Person for Others" with Karen Corbett Sanders, Co-Director of the Regional Elected Leaders Initiative at George Mason University

Karen Corbett Sanders has built a career across international business, technology, public education, and elected service, with relationships and listening as a constant

"You Can't Write City Hall" with Former Mayor & Comedian Jeremy Nunes

Jeremy Nunes was a stand-up comedian looking for an extra $75 a month when he decided to run for his small-town board. Two years later, campaigning as "a real joker in of

"Leading a Downtown" with Philip Falcone, Ward 1 Councilmember, Riverside, California

Who owns the problem when no one person or organization is actually in charge? Philip Falcone represents downtown Riverside, California, a complex ecosystem of resident

"Relationships Are the Currency of Leadership" with David Ramadan, Former Virginia Delegate & Professor of Practice, George Mason University

What becomes possible when we stop questioning the intentions of people with whom we disagree? David Ramadan, former member of the Virginia House of Delegates and Profe

"Seeing Local Government from the Outside" with Mary Ramsey, Local Government Accountability Reporter, The Charlotte Observer

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, loca

"Building Something Bigger Than Yourself" with Nick Rutledge, Mayor, Moody, Alabama

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, Alaba

"Creating Spaces Where People Heal" with Matt Sandoval, CEO, Art Heals Arizona

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

"From Cowboy to Cow Man" with Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon

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, Govern

"Beyond Advocacy" with Liz Campos, Ventura City Councilmember

What happens when someone driven by personal conviction steps into the broader responsibility of governing an entire community? Liz Campos came to public service throug

"With People, Not To People" with Matt Hillmann, Executive Director, Minnesota Association of School Administrators

How do communities build trust, navigate disagreement, and make difficult decisions that people can genuinely support? After nearly a decade as superintendent of Northfi

"Seen, Heard, and Valued" with Sarah Jakle, Founder of DemocraShe

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 r

"Helping People Feel Heard" with Alyia Gaskins, Mayor of Alexandria, VA

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

"Failing Without Becoming a Failure" with Wayne Handley, Interim City Manager, City of Buena Vista, VA

What happens when a leader holds someone accountable without diminishing them? In Part 2 of this conversation, Wayne Handley shares a formative experience from early in

"Sometimes the Mission is Team Welfare" with Wayne Handley, Interim City Manager, City of Buena Vista, VA

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 t

"When Precision Meets Public Leadership" with Councilmember Monte Lyons, Gilbert, AZ

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 o

"Public Service Begins With Listening" with Penny Gross, Former Member of Fairfax County (VA) Board of Supervisors

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 loc

"Still Reaching." A Special 100th Episode of Community Catalysts

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 w

"The Truth Is the Work." with Charlie Cauffman, COO, Washakie County School District #1, Wyoming

Charlie Cauffman's leadership was shaped in a moment he didn't expect and couldn't avoid. Early in his career, just months into a new role, he uncovered a seven-figure bu