America250 Starts with Local Leaders

Reimagining local government, democracy and trust with Julia Novak, CEO, ICMA

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1962410/fan_mail/new] Julia Novak, CEO & Executive Director of ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, brings together city and county managers, the people who get the work done alongside mayors and councilmembers. Which is why NLC’s partnership is so important, as we all put residents' needs first. She oversees all aspects of ICMA, including membership, staff, and implementation of the executive board’s strategic objectives. With extensive experience in local government, Julia has served as both a city manager and a deputy city manager. For more information, visit us at nlc.org [http://nlc.org/].

Kicking Off Small Cities Month in Wyoming with Ashley Harpstreith

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1962410/fan_mail/new] June is Small Cities Month at NLC! With 40% of the National population coming from cities with a population of 50,000 or less, small cities play a significant role in strengthening local government and shaping NLC’s initiatives, opportunities and federal advocacy. Ashley Harpstreith is the Executive Director for the Wyoming Association of Municipalities, which serves all of Wyoming’s 99 municipalities. She joins CitiesSpeak to share the unique strengths of small cities and towns in Wyoming and across the country. For more information, visit us at nlc.org [http://nlc.org/].

The Impact of Arts with Mayor Michael Vargas

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1962410/fan_mail/new] National Arts & Health Day [https://www.nlc.org/events/national-arts-health-day/] – NLC’s annual celebration of the impact the arts have on public health around our country. It’s coming up later this summer on July 25th, and here to share how the arts have impacted his community is Mayor Michael M. Vargas of Perris, California. For more information, visit us at nlc.org [http://nlc.org/].

Turning Ideas into Policy with Tacoma Councilmember Kristina Walker

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1962410/fan_mail/new] What does it take to turn a good idea into real policy that improves people’s lives? As anyone in local government knows, the path from identifying a problem to passing meaningful legislation can be complicated. For more information, visit us at nlc.org [http://nlc.org/].

America250 Starts with Local Leaders

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1962410/fan_mail/new] Today, we are sharing a panel discussion about America 250 from our 2026 Congressional City Conference in Washington, D.C. On the conference stage, NLC President Kevin Kramer moderated a discussion with local leaders from Harrisonburg, Virginia; Baltimore, Colorado Springs, and Philadelphia on how city, town and village leaders are designing and driving the celebrations this summer.  For more information, visit us at nlc.org [http://nlc.org/].