Shows
Ground Floor GovernmentThe Role of Public Service in Community Engagement (with Dominique Davis) | Ep. 25In this conversation, Dominique Davis, a city clerk and public affairs officer, shares her journey in local government, emphasizing the importance of public service, community engagement, and accessibility. She discusses the challenges faced in her roles, including crisis management and budget processes, while highlighting the skills necessary for success in local government. Dominique also reflects on her passion for making government accessible and her commitment to nurturing talent within her team.TakeawaysDominique Davis began her career in local government in 2013.Her goal is to make government accessible and transparent.Crisis management can involve various challenges...
2026-01-2623 minGround Floor GovernmentFrom Roller Blades to Township Clerk in Clinton Township (with Kim Meltzer) | Ep. 24It is never too late to start working in local government. Huge Plappert talks with Kim Meltzer from Clinton Township, Michigan, about raising kids, finishing college, and starting a career in politics and public service. Kim shares how Girls State in high school opened a window into creating community, how the Gulf War and concern for her children shaped her desire to help the right people get elected, and how a political science degree at Wayne State connected to real work in local government.ㅤKim explains how a local trustee race, a slate, a last-place prima...
2025-11-2719 minGround Floor GovernmentRebranding, Civic Pride, and Trust in Government in East Hartford (with Marissa Baum) | Ep. 23Details are important, especially when communicating in a local community where things can be taken the wrong way. Hugh Clapper talks with Marissa Baum, head of communications for the town of East Hartford, about being a communication leader for residents and businesses. Marissa shares how a career in marketing, communications, fundraising, and development in arts and cultural institutions led to campaign work, local government, and a passion for telling stories of impact on a day-to-day, micro level.ㅤFrom booties in seats at a free, family-friendly fall festival to earned media coverage, positive brand and reputation ma...
2025-11-2624 minGround Floor GovernmentMarketing and Communications in City Government (with Tai Lieu) | Ep. 22Government careers in marketing and communications bring a different angle than the large corporate world with unlimited ad spends and research tools. Host Hugh Plappert talks with Tai Lieu, a Marketing and Communications Specialist in city government, about moving from psychology, sales, and television advertising into digital marketing and eventually into local government work.ㅤTai shares how experience at a television station, Gnet, and the USA Today Network shaped a deep understanding of digital marketing, targeting individual audiences, and working with multiple local sites. That journey led to political consulting, statewide races in Iowa, and a...
2025-11-2520 minGround Floor GovernmentBalancing Goals, Authority and Community Expectations (with Corey Woods) | Ep. 21A delicate balance between accomplishing goals and bringing everybody along runs through this conversation with Tempe Mayor Corey Woods. Host Hugh Plappert opens with Corey’s path from dinner table conversations about foreign and domestic issues to a city council seat at 29 and then the mayor’s chair. Corey explains the council manager form of government, the limits of mayoral authority and how state law and federal directives can preempt local decisions.ㅤHe shares the challenge of starting as mayor in July 2020 at the height of the COVID 19 pandemic, governing from behind a laptop while trying...
2025-11-2027 minGround Floor GovernmentHow Finance Powers Every City Department (with Matthew Lue) | Ep. 20Finance is the engine that keeps every city department running. In this conversation, Hugh Plappert talks with Matthew Lue, Director of Finance for the City of Columbia, Missouri, about how municipal finance works behind the scenes.ㅤFrom funding challenges to managing public expectations, Matthew shares lessons from his path that began in nonprofit healthcare and led to local government leadership. He discusses how sales tax supports essential city services, how collaboration breaks down departmental silos, and why patience and teaching have become core parts of his role.ㅤListeners will hear about Colu...
2025-11-1917 minGround Floor GovernmentLessons from a 30-Year Career in City Government (with Corrine Lindo) | Ep. 19Opportunities in local government can take you across cities, careers, and decades of service. In this conversation, Hugh Plappert speaks with Corrine Lindo, who shares her story of transition from New York City to Atlanta and the lessons learned along the way.ㅤHer career began in Greenwich Village on the community planning board before joining the New York City Mayor’s Office under Mayor Giuliani. After 9/11, her life and work shifted, leading her to the creation of Johns Creek, Georgia, and ultimately to her current role as Municipal Clerk for the City of Atlanta.ㅤ
2025-11-1821 minGround Floor GovernmentDon’t Make Them Ask You Three Times” (with Guest Donna Reed) | Ep. 18Local government is often described as part-time work with full-time responsibility. In this conversation, host Hugh Plappert sits down with Donna Reed to explore how a call to community service—literally three calls—turned into a seat on the city council. From a Facebook group supporting parents during COVID to a platform for youth engagement, Donna shares how she learned the rules, built relationships, and found purpose in public service. She opens up about navigating politics she never planned to enter, facing $8.6 million in budget cuts, and prioritizing “people over programs.” Her journey is full of real talk, practical compassi...
2025-11-1319 minGround Floor GovernmentA Century of Service in Jackson County (with Chris Walker) | Ep. 17History becomes personal when it shapes your own career. Host Hugh Plappert welcomes Chris Walker, whose deep family roots in Jackson County date back more than a century. Her great-grandfather, August Singler, served as sheriff in 1913, giving his life in the line of duty. Her father and uncle carried that civic legacy forward as mayor and county commissioner, and Chris continued the tradition through her decades of service in county government.ㅤFrom starting as an entry-level employee in 1995 to becoming the elected County Clerk, Chris Walker shares how motivation, work ethic, and family history shaped he...
2025-11-1226 minGround Floor GovernmentBuilding Thriving Communities Through Technology (with Bob Leek) | Ep. 16Technology in local government is more than servers and software—it’s about people and outcomes. In this conversation, Hugh Plappert talks with Bob Leek, CIO of Clark County, Nevada, about how leadership, community impact, and innovation intersect in the public sector.ㅤBob Leek shares stories from a career that’s moved from private industry to public service—from Egghead, Banfield, and Kaiser Permanente to leading one of the largest counties in the nation. He discusses the shift from profit-driven technology to mission-driven outcomes, the importance of “success skills” like empathy and communication, and how Clark County’s...
2025-11-1125 minGround Floor GovernmentTurning Challenges into Change in Local Government (with Dayna Williams-Hunter) | Ep. 15City clerks are often seen as formal and distant, yet behind those desks are leaders transforming their communities. Hugh Plappert sits down with Dayna Williams-Hunter to explore her unexpected path from entrepreneurship and drone photography to public service.ㅤDayna shares how one conversation led her to run for city clerk and discover her calling in local government. She talks about bringing technology and heart together — from digitizing a century of city records to running large-scale food drives. With humor, honesty, and determination, Dayna reflects on serving with neutrality, handling criticism, and leading change with compassion. Her...
2025-11-0623 minGround Floor GovernmentFrom Police Chief to City Manager (with Dr. Jonathan Flores) | Ep. 14A law enforcement career can teach powerful lessons about leadership, accountability, and service. For Hugh Plappert’s guest, Dr. Jonathan Flores, those lessons shaped a 22-year journey from police communications to major crimes investigator and ultimately city manager.ㅤIn this conversation, Dr. Flores shares how his early experience at the McAllen Police Department and his faith-led approach to leadership prepared him to serve his hometown of Pharr, Texas. He reflects on the challenge of transitioning from paramilitary command to collaborative city management, his passion for developing future leaders, and his dedication to public service that star...
2025-11-0523 minGround Floor GovernmentLessons from a Vendor Who Never Sleeps (with Dana Healy) | Ep. 13Being involved in local city government can take many paths. Hugh Plappert talks with Dana Healy of Tightrope Media Systems about her journey from video production to serving the government as a vendor. Dana shares how a high school class accident sparked her passion for video and how that path led to managing television stations, working with nine cities, and eventually supporting accessibility for local governments.ㅤShe describes learning how communication flows differently inside government, the importance of budgets and measurable outcomes, and how leadership transitions can reshape projects overnight. From turning around a struggling te...
2025-11-0417 minGround Floor Government“This is a marathon and not a sprint” (with William Whitson) | Ep. 12Life can throw some wrenches into a career. Hugh Plappert sits down with William Whitson to unfold an interesting career path from Washington DC and the U S E P A to city manager and long-term recovery. The conversation moves through hurricanes back to back, an intergovernmental response to Katrina, Hurricane Harvey in Rockport, Texas, COVID, and flash flooding after the 4th of July. Listeners hear how to make an impact with grants and contracts, how local governments pair up the damage with the available funding, and why a comprehensive plan lands north of $150 million in state and federal...
2025-10-3020 minGround Floor GovernmentServing to Connect People and Governance (with Mayra Rios) | Ep. 11Host Hugh Plappert welcomes Mayra Rios from Brownsville, Texas, a community thriving with growth, culture, and collaboration across borders. As the City Secretary, Mayra shares how Brownsville connects tourism, business, and innovation—from its relationship with Mexico to its partnership with SpaceX’s new city, Starbase.ㅤShe reflects on her path from teaching to law and city administration, revealing how compliance, communication, and compassion shape her service. Mayra describes the role of City Secretary as the hub connecting officials, departments, and residents, especially during election season. Her words highlight the importance of transparency, legal responsibility, and pe...
2025-10-2819 minGround Floor GovernmentElections take over everything (with Aileen Dickson) | Ep. 10“Don’t assume that just because it’s government, it’s boring.” With Hugh Plappert and Aileen Dickson, the path runs from television marketing to a city clerk’s office where elections, records, and public access shape every decision. Aileen traces a move from one computer per department and photocopied council packets to digital operations, Open Troy, and careful exploration of AI for searches. She explains being appointed and confirmed, the shift from paper to electronic records, and why “elections take over everything” as law changes in 2018 and 2022, COVID years, and presidential cycles require agility. Responsibilities span agendas and minutes, FOIA, v...
2025-10-2330 minGround Floor GovernmentThe Youngest Citywide Official in Des Plaines History (with Dominik Bronakowski) | Ep. 9Young, elected, and showing up. Host Hugh Plappert sits down with Dominik Bronakowski, the elected City Clerk of Des Plaines, sworn in at 24 and proud to be the youngest elected citywide official in Des Plaines history. Dominik shares how wearing many hats opened doors, from working full-time in the Illinois State legislature on constituent services and outreach to evenings and weekends in the clerk’s office. From ageism on the campaign trail to proving himself day in and day out, Dominik focuses on transparency, accessibility, and competitive elections. He talks about rolling out translation services for non-English speakers, making it...
2025-10-2121 minGround Floor GovernmentLeading with Listening and Service (with Vanessa Joseph) | Ep. 8How do you turn unexpected opportunities into a lasting career of service? On this episode of Ground Floor Government, host Hugh Plappert speaks with Vanessa Joseph, elected City Clerk for the City of North Miami and practicing immigration attorney.ㅤVanessa shares her journey as the daughter of Haitian immigrants, her initial plan to return to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, and how her passion for service led her toward immigration law and ultimately public office. She explains how she became bi-vocational, why civic education is central to her work, and how the office of the City Cl...
2025-10-1625 minGround Floor GovernmentAdapting to Change in Local Government (with Shirley Foxx-Knowles) | Ep. 7Changes are challenging. They can make you or break you. They can throw you into an emotional turmoil, and they are important to understand as you develop your career in local government. In this conversation, Hugh Clapper sits down with Shirley Foxx-Knowles, City Clerk of Tampa, to talk about navigating political, system, and career changes.ㅤShirley shares her journey from 16 years in corporate accounting at GTE to more than two decades serving in Tampa’s city government. She reflects on differences between the corporate world and local government, the importance of attitude, and the projects that...
2025-10-1425 minGround Floor GovernmentBalancing Laws, Citizens, and City Growth (with Deborah Sorensen) | Ep. 6On this episode of Ground Floor Government, host David Plappert sits down with Deborah Sorensen, City Secretary of Rowlett, Texas. Deborah shares how rules, laws, and codes shape what cities can and cannot do, highlighting the importance of the Open Meetings Act, the Public Information Act, and election laws.ㅤShe describes the Action Center in Rowlett, a one stop shop for citizens who need help navigating city services, and reflects on juggling multiple roles each week, from preparing agendas and minutes to elections and public information requests. Deborah also talks about leading Rowlett to its fi...
2025-10-0718 minGround Floor GovernmentGovernance Precedes Finance (with Mark Funkhouser) | Ep. 5A pothole crew, a dump truck, a radio system, a streetlight on every corner. Behind each visible service sits an army that buys, maintains, measures, and pays for it. In this conversation, Hugh Plappert speaks with Mark Funkhouser, who connects the nuts and bolts of procurement, budgeting, and performance auditing to parks, safety, clean water, and trash pickup. He shares a Kansas City story where resident surveys, an audit, and a voter-approved bond transformed an outdated streetlight system. He talks about mistakes like a public safety radio purchase that failed frontline users, why the second question in government is...
2025-09-3020 minGround Floor GovernmentFrom Unpaid Intern to Division Head at 23 in Danville (with Rheanna Ollis) | Ep. 4Welcome to Ground Floor Government with David Plappert. In this conversation, Rheanna Ollis shares how a political science path turned into community relations, starting as an unpaid intern, jumping into billing and collections, becoming the first coordinator, and stepping into division head at 23. She talks about juggling social media, uploading city council meetings, a weekly City Council Digest, neighborhood associations, press releases, a video project for the enterprise zone, and working with a graphic designer on target audiences and marketing.ㅤRheanna explains why communication is the hardest part when your target audience is 28,000 people across di...
2025-09-1632 minGround Floor GovernmentWhat does it really take to get PhoneLive up and running? | Ep. 3Joseph Lewin, producer of Ground Floor Government, sits down with David Plappert, the regular host of the show, for a special behind-the-scenes conversation about what it really takes to get PhoneLive running. Many communities struggle to connect with the 20% of people who cannot access livestreams due to broadband barriers. David explains how PhoneLive bridges that gap by integrating seamlessly with existing streaming platforms, provisioning dedicated toll-free phone numbers, and making participation as simple as answering a call.ㅤ📌 What We CoverWhy PhoneLive matters for the 20% of people without broadband accessThe simple 15-minute setup with no ha...
2025-09-0213 minGround Floor GovernmentWhy Phone Access Still Matters for Public Meetings | Ep. 2An estimated 10% of U.S. households lack broadband, and as many as 20% of constituents are unable to access city council, school board, and other public meetings online. In this conversation, David Plappert is joined by producer and guest host Joseph Lewin to explore why live streaming alone leaves too many people out and how phone access bridges the gap.They discuss the limitations of current solutions, from manual conference lines to free services with hidden costs, and highlight how dedicated toll-free phone lines with automation remove barriers for marginalized groups, seniors, and people on the move. Using...
2025-08-1922 minGround Floor GovernmentWhy 20% of Americans Still Can’t Access City Meetings | Ep. 1Local government meetings shape communities, but for one in five Americans, participation is out of reach. In this first episode of Ground Floor Government, producer Joseph Lewin hosts a conversation with David Plappert about why access to city meetings matters and who is being left out. They uncover overlooked groups struggling to connect, including households without broadband, elderly residents, blue collar workers, and families living below the poverty line. The discussion highlights barriers such as resource limitations, technology gaps, and time constraints that keep people disconnected. David shares stories of residents whose lives changed when access became possible, why...
2025-08-1224 minGround Floor GovernmentGround Floor Government | TrailerLocal government is often seen as big ideas, policies, and elected officials making decisions. But the reality runs deeper. It depends on the quiet leadership behind the scenes—those who publish agendas, keep records, manage calm amid chaos, and lead teams to keep the public informed. David Plappert, host of Ground Floor Government, highlights the essential roles of city and county clerks, city managers, communication professionals, and IT leaders. This trailer episode sets the stage for conversations about the real work that keeps local governments transparent, connected, and moving forward. If you have ever been the person making it ha...
2025-08-0501 min
Localization Fireside ChatPhoneLive: The Shocking Multilingual Church Tech That Runs only on Phone Lines!Description: Welcome to Episode 91 of the Localization Fireside Chat! 🚀 In this episode, I sit down with David and Hugh Plappert, the father-son duo behind PhoneLive, a groundbreaking broadcasting company that connects 11,000 churches to their congregations – using traditional phone lines! 📞 Forget AI, apps, and Wi-Fi. PhoneLive is thriving by solving real-world challenges with a legacy-tech solution that offers multilingual broadcasting, scalability, and accessibility like never before. Discover: ✅ How PhoneLive started as a basement project and grew to connect 22,000 worshippers weekly. ✅ Why churches are ditching expensive systems for this simple, phone-based tech. ✅ The surprising opportunities for multilingual communities and the language industry. ✅ In...
2024-12-1741 min
Everything Teams Phone LiveSeason 1 | Episode 24: Everything Teams Phone Live - Microsoft!📢 Join us for an exciting event on LinkedIn Live! Mark your calendars for July 7th at 12 PM PST for Everything Teams Phone Live with special guests from Microsoft.🌟 We have an incredible lineup of experts joining us, including special guests from Microsoft, Jason Waite and Doug Kline! Together, we will dive into a captivating discussion on how Microsoft Teams Phone can revolutionize and enhance your business operations. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to learn firsthand about the cutting-edge features, functionalities, and countless benefits that Teams Phone brings to the table. Whether you're a small b...
2024-07-221h 03