April 2025

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO

Dear Friends of ILG,

As we step into the spring season, we are reminded of the opportunities for renewal, growth, and transformation that this time of year brings. For many of us, the past few months have been marked by challenges. Local government leaders across California have been navigating a landscape of economic uncertainty, fluctuating state and federal funding, and the heavy weight of ongoing community needs. The impacts of policy shifts and natural disasters continue to ripple through our operations, and the strain on resources—both financial and human—has left many feeling the weight of burnout and exhaustion.

In recent months, we have seen both hope and adversity in equal measure. From fluctuating budgets to shifting state and federal priorities, these changing dynamics have made it harder to keep pace with the demands placed on local governments. But just as spring ushers in new life, it also brings an opportunity for reflection and renewal.

At ILG, we are leaning into this season of awakening with optimism and commitment. We are excited to welcome four new team members to our staff and two new members to our Board of Directors, strengthening our capacity to serve and support local government leaders across California. Their arrival is a tangible symbol of our own renewal, and it represents the vibrancy and fresh energy we’re committed to bringing to our work with you.

We understand that local government work is not only difficult but also relentless, and this spring, we encourage you to take time to recharge. The longer days and more abundant sunshine are invitations to embrace renewal. It’s a chance to rest, refocus, and take advantage of the resources and educational opportunities that can help you grow personally and professionally.

In this newsletter, you’ll find valuable training programs, webinars, conferences, and resources designed to support your work. We are here to ensure you have the tools you need to thrive in your role and continue making a meaningful impact in your community.

Together, let’s embrace the energy of this season and move forward with resilience, purpose, and hope.



Warm regards,

Erica L. Manuel

CEO & Executive Director

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Tulare County Supervisor Joins ILG Board 

We're excited to welcome Tulare County Supervisor Eddie Valero to the ILG Board of Directors! Supervisor Valero was first elected to the Tulare County Board of Supervisors in 2018, representing District 4.

A longtime resident of the Central Valley, Supervisor Valero left his hometown to obtain an Ivy League education and returned with the goal of prosperity for Tulare County residents. He has been working with the greater North County to positively impact at-risk youth, particularly fatherless young men, throughout the Central Valley.

Supervisor Valero joins Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez from Riverside County as two new county representatives on the ILG board in 2025.  

ILG Adds Expertise in Operations, Communications and Workforce Development! 

We are thrilled to announce four new team members who joined ILG in March!

Jon Barilone, Senior Program Manager, Marketing & Communications 

Jon has over 16 years of experience making digital marketing & strategic communications more efficient and impactful, through a wide range of skills such as content writing & editing, brand management, event support, public relations and community building. Prior to joining ILG in 2025, Jon served as a Principal with Tripepi Smith, helping them grow to become the largest local government-focused public affairs and marketing firm in California. There, he consulted with approximately 100 different California local government agencies to help them improve their external marketing and communications through integrated marketing campaigns and strategic communications plans. 

Amanda Hirschmann, Program Manager, Workforce Development 

Amanda joins the team with extensive experience in workforce development and public service leadership. She most recently served the California Department of Developmental Services, where she led statewide initiatives to recruit, train, and retain the workforce supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, particularly in underserved communities. Amanda's expertise in strategic planning, cross-sector collaboration, and program implementation will support the ILG Workforce Pillar in strengthening programs focused on building equitable career pathways, expanding civic education, and increasing access to public service.  

Morgan Belden, Program Manager, Workforce Development 

Morgan is a dedicated professional in Workforce Development with his recent experience focused on building academic and career pathways for Social Work students. In his previous role with San Diego Workforce Partnership, Morgan successfully collaborated with the California Workforce Development Board, San Diego colleges, and community partners to design programs that equip students with the skills and opportunities necessary to excel in their chosen fields. 

Allie Hunt, Executive Assistant  

Allie has a strong background in executive support, business operations, and organizational management. With years of experience assisting C-suite executives and managing high-volume workloads, she excels at streamlining processes, improving efficiency, and fostering collaboration within teams. Allie is known for her adaptability, problem-solving abilities, and attention to detail. She has technical expertise in business operations, board governance and other administrative roles. One of her responsibilities will be supporting the 23-member ILG Board of Directors.  

ILG Releases New Report:

Bridging the Gap: Strategies for Restoring Public Sector Employment in the Sacramento Region



ILG partnered with the North Far North Center of Excellence to publish a new public sector labor market report titled Bridging the Gap: Strategies for Restoring Public Sector Employment in the Sacramento Region. This report provides a comprehensive analysis of employment trends and workforce challenges in the Greater Sacramento region's public sector, with a focus on local government. Key findings, insights, and recommendations aim to address these challenges and ensure a stable and skilled workforce for the years ahead. This report was prepared as a follow-up to the 2019 Public Sector Needs Assessment produced for the Innovative Pathways to Public Service (IPPS) collaborative, which ILG administers in the greater Sacramento region.

Read the report here.

This report was made possible through grant funding from the California Workforce Development Board's Workforce Accelerator Fund.

We would like to extend a special thank you to our project partners: the California Special Districts Association, Cal-ICMA, the Municipal Management Association of Northern California, the City of Sacramento, the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency (SETA), Innovative Pathways to Public Service (IPPS), Improve Your Tomorrow, and the California Mobility Center.

CALCOG Eureka! Award 



ILG was honored alongside our partner San Joaquin Council of Governments with a Eureka! Award from the California Association of Governments (CALCOG) for our collaborative work on the Stockton Mobility Collective (SMC). The work was made possible through a grant from the California Air Resources Board. The SMC connected Stockton residents to low-cost, clean transportation options like electric carshare and electric bikeshare programs. We are grateful to CALCOG for the recognition and grateful to SJCOG and the full SMC team for the partnership 

WEBINARS & TRAININGS

The New Economic Development is Green...and it comes with $$$

Thursday April 3, 11:30am - 1:00pm

California's landscape of economic development is rapidly evolving, with a growing emphasis on sustainability, energy, transportation, housing, and infrastructure, largely driven by climate action initiatives. This webinar will explain how to best harness federal and state financial and funding resources and examine California’s new Climate Resilience District, a powerful sustainability-focused Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district. Learn about this new world of green funding, renewable energy, hydrogen, tax credit bonds, value capture zoning, and how to create green jobs and achieve a sustainable local economy. Register here.

Boosting Local Budgets: Leveraging Sales Tax and Lesser-known Revenue Streams

Thursday April 10, 11:30am - 1:00pm

Learn how retail and consumer trends impact local government via sales tax revenue, and what to expect from 2025. Speakers will share the HdL forecast, cover the difference between regulatory and non-regulatory tax codes, discuss how to better leverage the lesser-known local taxes and fees that can shore up your budget for the year, and share lessons learned from putting these strategies into practice. Register here.

Cal Cities' Planning Commissioners Academy

Planning commissioners are important stewards of local land use authority. Making sure they’re properly trained is imperative. ILG participated in this year’s Planning Commissioners Academy in Santa Rosa, where we provided the state-mandated ethics and harassment prevention trainings for conference attendees, in collaboration with ILG partners Richards Watson Gershon and Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley. 

ILG Continues to Serve on Governor's Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resilience Program (ICARP) Technical Advisory Council

Resiliency is often top of mind for many jurisdictions, but in the wake of the recent fires in Southern California, many are laser-focused on disaster preparedness. ILG’s Karalee Browne was recently approved to re-join and represent ILG on the Governor’s Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resilience Program (ICARP) Technical Advisory Council. At the March meeting, the council focused on shaping its 2025 priorities and advancing statewide efforts to boost wildfire resilience.

Delivering Governance Training to our BOOST Imperial Valley Partners

The goal of our BOOST Imperial Valley work is to provide training and technical assistance to the unique local governments in the Imperial Valley so they can maximize potential opportunities in the region related to lithium mining. To advance that goal, ILG facilitated a day-long session with city leaders from all seven cities in Imperial Valley and focused the discussion on effective councils, open meetings, civility, and financing options.  

WHAT WE'VE BEEN READING

Learning From Lithium Valley: From Brine to Green Energy

Once a beachfront haven for celebrities, Southern California’s Salton Sea turned toxic long ago from too much agricultural runoff and too little fresh water. Today, three energy companies are racing to refine technology to extract lithium from the Salton Sea’s geothermal brine, with large-scale operations anticipated within a year. Read more.   

Global Leadership Report: What Followers Want

The demands of leadership are complex, but the foundation of being a good leader is rooted in meeting the needs of those who follow them. Based on surveys conducted in 52 countries, this report builds on decades of research into what people desire from their leaders. Read More.

What I Wish I Knew as a Younger Leader

Most of us unfortunately had to learn leadership lessons the hard way. This article contains an array of short case studies and lessons from senior managers in the trenches of local government. Read more.

GET RECOGNITION FOR GREAT WORK WITH THESE AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

Get the Recognition Your Agency Deserves!

Beacon Award Applications Are Now Open

ILG's Beacon Program helps local agencies understand the actions they can take — from clean energy to efficient transportation, adaptation planning, community engagement, and more — to reduce emissions, save energy, and build resilience. Through the Beacon Program, local agencies gain access to best practices, resources, technical assistance, peer support, and are eligible to earn annual award recognition.

The Beacon Vanguard and Spotlight awards recognize voluntary actions of cities and counties to undertake climate and sustainability programming. Agencies that earn an award in each of the five Spotlight categories will receive the Beacon Vanguard award. The Spotlight categories are:

• Agency GHG Reductions
• Community GHG Reductions
• Agency Electricity Savings
• Agency Natural Gas Savings
• Sustainability Best Practices

Learn more about each category and what data is needed for award consideration.

Whether your agency is a Beacon participant or not, you are invited to submit an innovative project, program, plan, or policy your agency has implemented for Leadership and Innovation award consideration in the following categories:

• Leadership in Climate Resilience and Adaptation
• Equity and Engagement in Climate Resilience and Adaptation
• Cross-Agency Collaboration in Climate Resilience and Adaptation
• Innovation in Energy
• Innovation in Clean Transportation

Applications are due Tuesday, July 15, 2025.

More information available here.

Call for Entries: Cal Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence

Has your city found innovative, efficient ways to help residents thrive, improve public service, or enhance public trust? The Helen Putnam Award for Excellence honors outstanding work by member cities across the state in 12 categories. The program is an opportunity to thank employees and collaborators, celebrate with the community, and feel pride in your outstanding contributions to better your city.

Applications are due Thursday, April 10, 2025. Read more.

CSDA Annual Awards Nominations are Open

The CSDA Annual Awards showcase its members’ most valuable contributions to the communities they serve. The winners will be celebrated at the 2025 CSDA Annual Conference & Exhibitor Showcase in Monterey, from August 25-28, 2025.

Nominations are due Thursday, May 1, 2025. Read more.

AFFILIATE EVENTS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

CSAC Legislative Conference

April 23-25, 2025

Sacramento, CA

The 2025 CSAC Legislative Conference is an invaluable opportunity for county leaders to engage with legislators, state leaders, and county peers, all while working together to address the critical issues facing our communities. The California Legislature has recently welcomed more than 30 new members across both chambers, and this event is a unique opportunity to educate them on the important role of county government. Read more.

Cal Cities City Leaders Summit

April 23-25, 2025

Sacramento, CA

The 2025 City Leaders Summit offers opportunities for city leaders from across the state to influence policy decisions in the Capitol and gain top-notch leadership skills. City officials can walk the halls of the Capitol and advocate for Cal Cities’ top priorities, in-between peer-to-peer discussions and in-depth educational sessions. Read more.

CSDA General Manager Leadership Conference

June 29 - July 1, 2025

Olympic Valley, CA (Lake Tahoe Area)

General managers and emerging leaders come together at CSDA’s General Manager Leadership Summit to gain insight, make connections and hone their skills. The Summit offers tailored education specifically for your role, and you can choose from sessions designed to keep you current on governance best practices, state laws, human resources, operations, pensions, budgeting, district policies and procedures, risk management, and more! Plus, the CSDA team provides plenty of interactive networking opportunities! Register here.

PARTNER UPDATES & EVENTS

We want to extend a big thank you to the organizations that have joined our 2025 partner program so far!

• Best Best & Krieger
• Renne Public Law Group
• Richards Watson Gershon
• Hanson Bridgett
• Tripepi Smith
• California JPIA
• Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley 
• HdL Companies
• Kosmont Companies
• Southern California Edison

We are grateful for your continued support and would not be able to provide the breadth of resources and trainings we do without your partnership.

If you have not yet renewed your partnership, or are interested in becoming a partner, reach out to Melissa Kuehne at mkuehne@ca-ilg.org for more information.

Empowering Local Leaders to Drive CCA Success

Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) are at the forefront of shaping California’s energy future, delivering clean power, local control and economic benefits to the communities they serve. However, to truly realize the full potential of CCAs, it is crucial to equip local government leaders — including elected officials and staff — with the knowledge and resources to champion these programs effectively. Empowering local leaders is the key to ensuring CCA programs can expand, grow and succeed. Read the full article here.

Best Best & Krieger LLP (BBK) Launches On-Demand Learning Hub

BBK’s new On-Demand Learning Hub is the go-to resource for professional development! A one-stop online resource providing curated, interactive courses available anytime. On-demand trainings, webinars and courses to fulfill legal requirements like AB 1234 Ethics Training, updates on legal trends, and opportunities to enhance an organization's knowledge on topics related to The Brown Act, SEI Form 700: Duties of Filing Officers & Officials, and more. For more information and to register, click here.

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