Guest Information

Zhikun Liu, Ph.D., CFP®, vice president, head of MissionSquare Research Institute

Gerald Young, senior researcher, MissionSquare Research Institute

Topics

Financial wellness: Generic benefit, or strategy?

Guaranteed income options altering

Artificial intelligence impact on staffing.

Retirement decisions: Human advice vs Technology.

Employers recognizing and tracking mental and emotional labor.

Resources

MissionSquare Research Institute

Local Government Reimagined Conference - The AI Edge: Orlando, FL | April 8-10, 2026

Key Takeaways:

• The ERC program focuses on building long-term economic resilience.
• It funds people and capacity, not just projects.
• Communities gain repeatable local controllable tools for investment.
• Economic development is a relational function, not just technical.
• Local governments can be conveners and enablers of economic growth.
• Community capital allows residents to invest in local businesses.
• The ERC experience emphasizes the importance of trust and relationships.
• Resilience is built through alignment with community priorities.
  

Featured Guests:

Sydney Davis

Entrepreneur & Funding Navigation Specialist
ERC Fellow with National Coalition for Community Capital

Resources

Economic Recovery Corps (ERC)

Community Investment Fund Handbook & Toolkit: The National Coalition for Community Capital is a great resource. NC3 offers practical education, case studies, and tools that help communities understand what’s possible beyond traditional grants and incentives—and how to approach these models responsibly.

In this episode of Voices in Local Government, Phil Kiraly and Julia D. Novak, ICMA-CM answer the critical question at the heart of our profession: why council-manager government matters now more than ever. They discuss how ICMA's Future of Professional Management Fund supports advocacy and how to educate residents when defending and adopting council-manager government comes up on the ballot.

Key Takeaways:

• Why council-manager form of government is effective and how to best educate residents
• What is ICMA's Future of Professional Management Fund, what it's used for, and why it matters for members
• How a "team sport" approach of advocacy led to success defending council-manager government in Illinois
• Excitement to continue the conversation on form of government and more at ICMA Annual Conference
  

Featured Guests:

Phil Kiraly - ICMA-CM - village manager of Glencoe, Illinois

Julia D. Novak - ICMA-CM – CEO and executive director of ICMA

Voices in Local Government Podcast Hosts:

Joe Supervielle and Angelica Wedell

Resources:

ICMA's Future of Professional Management Fund

PM Magazine: Making Big Strides in Advocating for Council-Manager Government

ICMA Annual Conference, October 25-29 in Tampa.