CitiesSpeak With Clarence Anthony

Social isolation and loneliness were issues that really came to the forefront during the pandemic. When everything shut down five years ago, Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi took it upon himself to look for creative ways to grow connections between residents and build a sense of community, which is how the One Thousand Gatherings initiative was created.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

When Mayor Muriel Bowser began her second term in 2019, she set an ambitious goal of creating 36,000 new housing units in Washington, DC by 2025. Six years later, the city has exceeded that goal, and today, Mayor Bowser co-chairs NLC's America's Housing Comeback Advisory Group: a leadership table for housing policy leaders and innovators in the public and private sectors to meet the moment for housing together. In this episode, Mayor Bowser explains why the moment to address housing in America is now and how her hometown is leading the charge.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Rep. Greg Stanton represents Arizona's 4th District in Congress, and as a former Phoenix councilmember and mayor, he co-chairs the Former Local Elected Leaders Caucus in the House of Representatives. Rep. Stanton joined the main stage at the 2025 Congressional City Conference for a conversation with Clarence Anthony about infrastructure, federal funding and why local leaders bring an especially important voice to Congress.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

As the National League of Cities begins its second century of service to America's cities, towns and villages, in this episode, we share a conversation with three former NLC leaders about their unique perspectives on municipal leadership and NLC's impact over the years. This conversation was recorded at NLC's Centennial City Summit in Tampa, Florida in November 2024.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

NLC President Mayor Steve Patterson of Athens, Ohio, joins Clarence Anthony live in the studio to talk about his vision as NLC president for the year ahead. They discuss how his background as a Major in the Air Force and a former college professor has influenced his leadership as mayor, and how he thinks cities can better collaborate across borders.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Former Mayor Sharon Weston Broome of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, reflects on her dedicated career in public service, what her time in multiple elected offices has meant to her and advice for newly elected leaders.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

The future of transportation is shifting toward electric vehicles, which is changing how communities approach municipal fleets. The City of South Pasadena, California partnered with Enterprise Mobility to electrify the police department's entire vehicle fleet. In this episode, Clarence Anthony talks with Councilmember Michael Cacciotti and Enterprise Mobility's Vice President of Business Development Dain Giesie about how they partnered to clean the air, electrify the police department, and save money in the city's budget.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Artificial intelligence and new technology are changing the way we live and work. In this episode, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Jon Berroya, Google's Government Affairs and Public Policy Director, discuss potential areas for integrating AI into municipal services and ensuring it is used ethically and equitably.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

NLC's convening power brings people from across the country together who otherwise would not connect. In this episode, Fairfax, Virginia, city council member Jon Stehle and Central Point, Oregon, city council member Taneea Browning share how they connected at NLC events and exchanged knowledge to transform their communities' futures.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode of CitiesSpeak we are joined by Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Roby Schapira, Wells Fargo Senior Vice President and Diverse Segments Leaders for Small Business. It is an exciting conversation with two influential leaders who are deeply invested in the economic success of American cities and American small businesses.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

The Supreme Court wrapped up a memorable term in July with several decisions that will impact America's cities, towns and villages. Amanda Karras, the Executive Director and General Counsel of the International Municipal Lawyers Association, joins CitiesSpeak to explain what the court's decisions mean for local governments and leaders.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

As a bonus episode this month, we're sharing a timely conversation about how to supercharge our nation's efforts to close the housing supply gap. The episode focuses on the Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook, which NLC developed in partnership with the American Planning Association. The conversation originally aired as an episode of the APA podcast, with APA's Director of Public Affairs, Emily Pasi, interviewing NLC's CEO and Executive Director Clarence Anthony.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Lake Charles, Louisiana, experienced the most federally declared disasters in a one-year period than any other city after a series of hurricanes and historic rain events over a few months in 2020. Mayor Nic Hunter shares his experience rebuilding the community, hardening infrastructure against future storms, and how to prepare for after the storm.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Recorded live at NLC's Congressional City Conference, Clarence Anthony sits down with Henry Cisneros, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, NLC President and Mayor of San Antonio, Texas. Leaders like Secretary Cisneros have shaped NLC, and he provides insights into the history and future of NLC.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, recorded live at NLC's Congressional City Conference, U.S. Representative Don Bacon (R-NE) and U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA), both members of the Problem-Solvers Caucus, discuss the benefits of listening and working with members from across the political aisle to address our nation's most pressing challenges. The conversation was moderated by Irma Esparza Diggs, NLC's Senior Executive Director for Federal Advocacy.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, Clarence sits down for a conversation with Bill Braniff, Director of the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, about growing hate and extremism in America's cities. They discuss how local leaders can partner with the federal government to put an end to this trend – using innovative strategies to both respond to violent and hate-fueled incidents and to prevent them from ever happening in the first place.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, Clarence sits down with Mayor Abdullah Hammoud from Dearborn, Michigan to talk about the city's approach to revamping and reimagining its network of roads and streets using the nearly $25 million it recently received in federal infrastructure funds. They discuss the infrastructure challenges that Dearborn has been facing for decades, and how NLC's Local Infrastructure Hub helped the city put together a successful federal grant application that will transform its community.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, Clarence sits down with David Sander, Mayor of Rancho Cordova, California and our new National League of Cities President. They discuss his experience building the City of Rancho Cordova from the ground up over the last two decades, why it's so important for local leaders to take big risks, and why he views cities as “laboratories of democracy.” For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this live episode recorded at NLC's City Summit 2023 in Atlanta, Clarence sits down with a panel of four experts who are focused on examining public safety in our cities and creating innovative community violence interventions that make our systems more just, fair, and effective. This month's guests include:Erica Atwood, Deputy Managing Director, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaAnne Marks, Consultant & Former Executive Director of Youth ALIVE!Ganesha Martin, Founder of Let's Meet in the Middle & Former Director of the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice, Baltimore Police DepartmentWilford Pinkney, Director of the Office of Violence Prevention, St. Louis, MisFor more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, Clarence sits down with Arkansas Municipal League Executive Director Mark Hayes and his wife Alison Hayes for an important conversation about the opioid crisis. In 2020, Mark and Alison lost their 23-year-old son Wells to an overdose and since then, have devoted themselves to fighting the opioid epidemic and helping anyone impacted by addiction and overdoses. They share what their own experience supporting Wells through addiction was like and the actions we can all take to stop this crisis.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, Clarence sits down for a conversation with an old friend – Dr. Arthur Evans, CEO of the American Psychological Association – the leading scientific and professional psychology organization in the United States. They discuss what goes into building strong mental health strategies for city governments, as well as Dr. Evans' personal journey to public service.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, Clarence sits down with Mayor Angela Birney from Redmond, Washington and Mayor Mark Shepherd from Clearfield City, Utah to talk about the affordable housing crisis in America's communities, and the innovative approaches they're taking to address the challenge in their cities. Both leaders are involved in NLC's Housing Supply Accelerator – an initiative focused on bringing partners from across the housing sector together, to increase and improve the supply of affordable housing stock for residents.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Today, CitiesSpeak is bringing you a bonus episode from our friends at the Good Government Show podcast – a conversation from earlier this year with Former New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio. Make sure to check out the Good Government Show – including a recent episode featuring our very own Clarence Anthony! – at goodgovernmentshow.com.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, Clarence has conversations with Mayor Nancy Rotering from Highland Park, Illinois and Councilmember Henry Lo from Monterey Park, California – local elected officials who have both led their communities through the aftermath of gun violence in their cities. They discuss what it was like for each of them to first respond to the tragedies in their communities, how each city had to quickly mobilize to get information and resources to residents, and how their respective communities have banded together to heal over the last several months.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

CitiesSpeak with Clarence Anthony is one year old! In this month's episode, we took a look back at some of our best conversations from the past year, many of which feature the stories of why our local leaders chose the path of public service.  

In this special Pride Month episode, Clarence sits down with Annise Parker, former mayor of Houston and President and CEO of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and Victory Institute, which works to build, train and support LGBTQ+ leaders at all levels of government to advance equality in public office. They discuss Mayor Parker's personal journey in public service as the first openly LGBTQ+ mayor of a major American city, and how the Victory Fund supports LGBTQ+ candidates up and down the ballot.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Coming off of Mental Health Awareness Month, Clarence sits down for a conversation with Tom Coderre, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They discuss how Tom's personal recovery journey has influenced his work at the agency, the impact of opioids on communities across America, and how local leaders can support better mental health for their residents.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, Clarence sits down with Stephen Goldsmith, professor of urban policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, former Deputy Mayor of New York City, and former Mayor of Indianapolis, IN. They discuss how big data can help city leaders be better decision-makers and the innovative ways cities are using new technologies to solve some of our biggest challenges.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, Clarence sits down for a moving conversation with Mayor Sheng Thao, Mayor of Oakland, California. They talk about how her upbringing and young adulthood living in public housing informed her approach to policymaking today, how Oakland is using ARPA dollars to address homelessness, and her vision for cities where everyone has a safe and affordable place to live.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this special episode recorded live at NLC's Congressional City Conference, Clarence sits down with Steve Benjamin, former Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina to reflect on the lessons he's learned about public service, partnerships that are important for local leaders to forge, and his new public engagement role in the Biden administration.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, Clarence sits down with John Giles, Mayor of Mesa, Arizona for a conversation on bipartisan leadership. They discuss how Mayor Giles has navigated division and incivility in his community as one of America's “most controversial conservative mayors” and what leadership means in an era of growing polarization.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, Clarence sits down with Corey Woods, Mayor of Tempe, Arizona for a conversation about housing. They talk about Mayor Woods' journey to being elected the city's first African-American mayor, why housing availability is so critical to building inclusive communities, and the importance of federal, state and local collaboration to advance affordable housing.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Today, CitiesSpeak is bringing you a bonus episode of the Voices in Local Government podcast from our friends at the International City/County Management Association. It's a conversation the ICMA team had with Clarence about the innovative ways local governments are implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and accessing federal funds to develop infrastructure projects in their communities. Find more episodes of Voices in Local Government and subscribe at https://icma.org/keyword-search/voices-local-government.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, Clarence sits down with Victoria Woodards, Mayor of Tacoma, Washington and our new National League of Cities President. They discuss her unexpected journey to public service and why she thinks combining the powerof talented residents with strong partnerships can help create endless possibilities for everyone in communities across the country.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, Clarence sits down with Emily Larson, Mayor of Duluth, Minnesota to talk about how the city of Duluth is addressing big issues from revitalizing its downtown core coming out of the pandemic to addressing the impacts of climate change and building a more sustainable community.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, Clarence sits down with G.T. Bynum, Mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma to talk about the work the city of Tulsa is doing to prioritize equal opportunity for everyone, and how it's drawn thousands of workers to the city through its innovative remote work incentive program.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this two-for-one episode, Clarence sits down with Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston, Texas and David Holt, Mayor of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the National Nonpartisan Conversation on Voter Rights. They discuss how cities across America are working toward greater voter engagement, education and access, and the importance of bipartisanship when it comes to protecting democracy.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, Clarence sits down with Vince Williams, Mayor of Union City, Georgia and President of the National League of Cities. They discuss the big opportunities that local leaders in small towns can create for their residents, how Union City boosted its economy by transforming a dilapidated mall into a booming business, and the role that his faith plays in his leadership.For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

In this episode, Clarence sits down with Mitch Landrieu, former mayor of New Orleans and Senior Advisor & Infrastructure Coordinator for the White House. They discuss Mitch's deep family roots in public service and his experience working across the local, state and federal levels. Mitch explains how his experience helping New Orleans recover after Hurricane Katrina has taught him valuable lessons about rebuilding communities after crisis, which he's applying in his new role implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in the White House today.For more information visit us at nlc.org

CitiesSpeak with Clarence Anthony, a new podcast from the National League of Cities, gives listeners an insider's view of what local leadership in America means today. Featuring conversations between NLC CEO and Executive Director Clarence Anthony and city leaders, policy experts and other guests, the show gets into the biggest issues, challenges and topics facing America's cities, towns and villages. Whether it's talking about what it's like to have residents protesting on their front lawn or discussing the creative things local governments are doing with their infrastructure dollars, CitiesSpeak gives listeners insight into what's on the minds of mayors and council members across the country.