I have the unfortunate (but correctable) habit of wading into projects—even my own—at step four or five and expecting the world to catch up with me. I have learned fairly recently that starting at step one often isn’t early enough, and that starting at Step Zero is the best predictor of success.  Labeled by our…

In honor of National Public Works Week, the story of one of the longest-serving public works employees in the country.

Students and teachers: Help us spread the word about this year's Life, Well Run Student Photo Contest. Entries due July 30.

Here's what a handful of local government experts and thought leaders are seeing in their crystal balls.

Slides of the presentation presented at the 2017 ICMA Conference in San Antonio.

The 2017 Life, Well Run Student Photo Contest ended two weeks ago, and our judges have been pouring over submissions to decide the winner of our four very special prizes. Opened to students and next generation local government professionals, the Student Photo Contest allowed us to take a peek into the everyday lives of the students who…

Niles, Illinois<br />Niles and surrounding communities had been plagued by flooding since the 1970s. The issue came to a head when, in September 2008, the area experienced record rainfall of about 9.5 inches in 15 hours. The region was declared a federal disaster area when the resulting flooding overwhelmed local and regional sewer systems and caused…

Heroism. It’s a description that conjures a lot of images and an ideal that has been the basis of countless good vs. evil, triumph-over-tragedy stories told throughout generations. The qualities of heroes (and heroines) are ones that our very best selves strive to attain. To seek the good of others over oneself, to stand for,…