by Cathy Capriola | Apr 20, 2026 | Leadership Development & Support
Ask an Expert: How Can I Build Executive Presence as a Leader? I’m hoping you can help me with a personal question. I am a new Department Head in my city, and I am very passionate about my role. My dream role is to be a City Manager. I am very focused on doing a good...
by Alana Forrest | Apr 17, 2026 | Governance & Strategy
Upcoming Changes to SB 553: Workplace Violence PreventionWe’re sharing a brief update on California’s Workplace Violence Prevention law (SB 553) and what it means for your organization in 2026.While you may have been compliant in 2025, new definitions and...
by Mary Egan | Apr 15, 2026 | Governance & Strategy
Coaching the Chair: Tips for More Effective Council MeetingsWhen City Council meetings break down, it’s often in predictable ways: Members fall into repetition, discussion drifts from topic to topic, the loudest voices in the room dominate the discussion, and...
by Michael Egan | Mar 17, 2026 | Coaching & Training
Jessica Nowaski is a seasoned law enforcement and coaching professional with expertise in leadership development, team building, facilitation, and public speaking. During her distinguished 26-year career with the Mountain View Police Department, she led all facets of...
by Cathy Capriola | Mar 13, 2026 | Coaching & Training
Public sector leadership comes with constant pressure from multiple lenses: operational demands, public accountability, political dynamics, and community expectations. Even experienced leaders can find that the challenges of the role evolve faster than the support...
by Jessica Deakyne | Feb 25, 2026 | Leadership Development & Support
Here’s the scenario: You decided to apply for a new role, and out of the many people who applied for that promotional opportunity you find yourself selected to show them your stuff during an in-person panel interview. You notice as you book your interview there are...
by Nancy Kaiser | Feb 17, 2026 | Human Resources Services
The most important part of a Park and Recreation department, aside from the infrastructure, is the people who staff it. In the early months of the year, public agencies across the country, and particularly in California, begin recruiting and hiring their seasonal and...
by Michael Egan | Feb 17, 2026 | Human Resources Services
Patty Francisco, Ph.D is an MRG affiliated consultant with over 30 years of public sector human resources experience serving municipal clients in the Southern California region. Patty received her Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from the University of...
by Julie Mares | Feb 5, 2026 | Governance & Strategy
I’m a City Manager in California and have been frustrated by the level of performance feedback I receive from my Council. I’ve been in the role for three years and have completed two evaluations, both of which were very positive, but also so vague that they weren’t...
by Ashwini Kantak | Jan 21, 2026 | Governance & Strategy
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...
