by Ashwini Kantak | Jan 21, 2026 | Ask Mary, Elected & Appointed Board Governance
Ask An Expert: Our New Council Member is an "Ideas Guy" By Ashwini Kantak I am an Assistant City Manager and my City Manager has tasked me with assisting with some of the work that flows from the City Council. There’s one fellow who’s a new City Council...
by Michael Egan | Jan 20, 2026 | Consultant Spotlight, Leadership Development & Support
David Brandt is an MRG affiliated consultant with over 30 years of public sector leadership experience. He has served as the City Manager of Redmond, OR, and as City Manager of Cupertino, CA. He has also served as the Assistant City Manager of Alameda and held...
by Michael Egan | Jan 8, 2026 | Workplace Investigations
MRG’s Investigations Team performs confidential investigations for public sector and private sector clients. We spoke with Andi Stanley to illuminate MRG’s approach to investigations and learn more about what a new client can expect from the MRG Investigations Team....
by Michael Egan | Dec 15, 2025 | Consultant Spotlight, Uncategorized
Steve Rymer is an MRG affiliated consultant with over 30 years of public sector leadership. He has previously served as the City Manager of the City of Morgan Hill, CA, as the City Administrator of the City of Rochester, MN, and City Manager of the City of Tigard, OR....
by Mary Egan | Dec 8, 2025 | Ask Mary, Leadership Development & Support, Mary Egan
Dear Mary, I’m a newly appointed City Manager, and lately I’ve noticed a pattern in my own behavior: When problems come in fast—particularly from Council members—I tend to respond by quickly and decisively taking action. It’s efficient, but I’m starting to realize it...
by Shirley Concolino | Nov 6, 2025 | Elected & Appointed Board Governance, Planning, Community, & Economic Development
California’s Senate Bill 707 marks a major update to the way local governments communicate with residents. It is intended to diversify and increase public engagement in local government and to modernize the Ralph M. Brown Act in response to advances in communications...
by Mary Egan | Oct 30, 2025 | Ask Mary, Mary Egan
Ask Mary is an advice column for public sector leaders hosted by MRG Co-Founder and CEO Mary Egan. In today’s column, Mary responds to a question received at the Annual MMANC Conference 2025 in Monterey, CA. Dear Mary, I work in a City Manager’s office and oversee...
by MRG | Oct 29, 2025 | Conferences
The 2025 MMANC Annual Conference brought together local government leaders from across California for a week of learning, inspiration, and connection. This year was the 75th anniversary of MMANC’s founding, and its members showed up energized and engaged. MRG was...
by Jessica Deakyne | Oct 13, 2025 | Conferences, Leadership Development & Support, MRG Perspective
We are knee deep in conference season and leaders keep telling me how much they dread networking. The loud ballrooms, the business card bingo—it can all feel very “ick” when you think of networking in the traditional sense. I get it, we are not all up for the gauntlet...
by Mary Egan | Oct 13, 2025 | Ask Mary, Leadership Development & Support, Mary Egan
Dear Mary, Our City Manager is retiring. He has been a great leader (from my perspective). He’s also been a champion for several initiatives that are still underway that are important to our community and won us a lot of credibility. I worry that these initiatives...
