As we move through the heart of summer, it is a good time to pause and ask a simple question: Are you making the most of the season? In my recent blog, Making the Most of Summer, I reflected on how the traditional “dog days of summer” seem to have disappeared. What was once a predictable slowdown has been replaced by a year-round pace of work, particularly in local government, where operational demands, strategic planning, staffing challenges, and election preparation continu

We used to talk about the ‘dog days of summer’ as a time when everything slowed down. It was expected, even accepted, that work would ease off for a while as people stepped away to recharge. Summer provided a natural pause before the push into fall, when school resumed and business life accelerated once again. That rhythm feels much harder to find today. Instead of a predictable lull, many people now remark on the absence of any true slow season. Work continues at a steady pa

When people hear the word governance, they often think of policies, procedures, bylaws, and meeting agendas. While those things certainly matter, they are only part of the picture. At the heart of great governance is something much simpler: trust. Trust is what allows organizations to move forward with confidence, build strong relationships, and make difficult decisions. And trust is built through ethical leadership. Simply put, ethics and governance go hand-in-hand. You can