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Dear Friends of ILG,
This time of year gives us a wonderful opportunity to pause and reflect on all we’re grateful for and, at ILG, that list is long!
We are deeply thankful for the League of California Cities, our steadfast founding organization, whose partnership and guidance remain central to our shared success. We’re equally grateful for our affiliates, partners, and friends who share ILG’s resources with their networks, helping us extend our reach and deepen our impact across California. And to the countless individuals serving in local government agencies who rely on us for technical assistance, training, and education: thank you for the vital work you do every day to make your communities stronger.
This November also marks ILG’s official 70th anniversary — a milestone that fills us with both pride and humility. For seven decades, we’ve had the privilege of supporting local governments as they navigate a growing set of challenges and ever-changing landscapes. We’re humbled by the continued confidence local agencies place in us as a trusted resource, and we remain committed to staying nimble and evolving alongside you as you address increasingly complex challenges.
We’re deeply appreciative of our corporate partners, whose generosity helps make our programs and trainings possible, and our Board of Directors, whose vision and leadership help guide ILG’s next chapter. Last but not least, I want to recognize our small-yet-mighty ILG team: your dedication, your passion, your ability to lift each other up, and your “can-do” attitudes embody what service and collaboration truly mean. Thank you, all!
In this newsletter, you’ll find valuable training programs, webinars, conferences, and resources designed to support your work.
With appreciation,
Erica L. Manuel
CEO & Executive Director
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Walnut Creek Councilmember Cindy Silva Joins the ILG Board
We are excited to welcome Cindy Silva to the ILG Board of Directors! She has served on the Walnut Creek City Council since 2006, including four terms as mayor. In addition to her position on the Walnut Creek City Council, Cindy serves as a Governor-appointed member and past chair of the California Seismic Safety Commission. Cindy is a past president of the League of California Cities (2022) and has served on the Cal Cities State Board since 2015. We look forward to tapping Cindy’s vast local government experience and knowledge as we continue our mission of supporting agencies statewide.
| | | Grace Person
Senior Program Manager | | |
ILG Adds Expertise in Public Engagement and Sustainability
This past month, ILG welcomed Grace Person to the team! Grace will support both our Public Engagement pillar and our Sustainable & Resilient Communities pillar. Grace is a collaborative engagement practitioner with over 10 years of experience helping California communities and agencies with community engagement and public policy facilitation. Prior to joining ILG, Grace worked for CivicWell, the Consensus and Collaboration Program at Sacramento State, the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, and the Vermont State Legislature. She has facilitated collaboratives, provided technical assistance to underserved and under-resourced communities to access state agency funding opportunities, and helped local municipalities conduct planning processes. Her work has included projects focused on water policy, emergency response planning, disabilities communities’ access and functional needs, and organizational strategic planning.
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2025 Beacon Award Winners
We were proud to announce and celebrate the cities that won 2025 Beacon Awards at the 2025 Cal Cities Annual Conference last month! This year, we recognized 19 different local government agencies for their voluntary efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save energy, and adopt policies that promote sustainability. Check out the entire list of 2025 Beacon Award winners on our website.
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Congratulations to the City of Needles
for Their 2025 Helen Putnam Award
The League of California Cities recently announced the City of Needles as a 2025 Helen Putnam Award winner for Public Works, Infrastructure, Transportation. The city’s Bob Belt Marina Beach Project created a climate-resilient public park out of a previously unsafe riverfront, providing much-needed refuge from extreme heat with shaded areas, hydration stations, ADA access, and restrooms. As part of the second round of ILG's BOOST Program, we supported Needles with its winning application for a Clean California Grant, which helped fund the project. It’s great to see the project get the recognition it deserves and we are glad to have played a part in its success.
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Third Webinar in Our Advanced Wildfire Risk Reduction Series
Thursday, November 13, 2025
11 AM – 12:30 PM
Register for the third webinar in our wildfire risk reduction series on “Controlling Your Own Destiny: A Local Leader’s Toolbox for Reducing Wildfire Risk.” Join us as we take a look at the options available to local officials to protect their communities from wildfires.
In collaboration with ILG Partner Renne Public Law Group.
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Save the Date! MMASC Conference Session on Fostering Civil Discourse in Local Government Agencies
MMASC Annual Conference, Indian Wells
Thursday, November 13, 2025
2–5 PM
Local government professionals increasingly find themselves navigating tense and sometimes hostile interactions, both in council chambers and behind the scenes. Disrespectful behavior during public meetings, miscommunication between staff and elected officials, and a blurring of professional boundaries have all contributed to a decline in effective dialogue and trust.
This course, which is eligible for 1 full Credentialed Government Leader (CGL) Credit, provides foundational tools to help local government professionals promote civil discourse in their organizations.
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How to Create a Collaborative and Respectful Multigenerational Workforce
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
11:30 AM – 1 PM
Register for our “Managing Across Generations: Building Stronger Local Government Teams” webinar to gain insights into common workplace challenges tied to generational differences, and strategies you can use to make your multigenerational agency stronger, more resilient, and better prepared to serve your community.
In collaboration with ILG Partner Hanson Bridgett.
| | ILG AFFILIATE UPDATES & EVENTS | | |
Cal Cities City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
Wednesday, November 12 – Friday, November 14, 2025
Westin Bonaventure Hotel
404 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Designed for city clerks and staff members of all tenures from throughout the state, the City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar expands an individual’s knowledge on a wide range of topics relevant to the city clerk’s role within their city and fosters relationships and communication with peers. The opportunity for city clerks to learn from and network with each other provides invaluable support. Learn more and register here.
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131st CSAC Annual Meeting
Monday, December 1 – Friday, December 5, 2025
Santa Clara County
The CSAC Annual Meeting is a can't-miss opportunity to collaborate, learn, and address the critical issues impacting counties. This multi-day event brings together leaders from across the state for in-depth workshops, panel discussions on innovative solutions, and presentations on best practices in county governance. Learn more and register here.
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Registration Now Open for MMANC’s Winter Session
Wednesday, December 3, 2025
8 AM – 1 PM
San José City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara St., San José, CA
Join MMANC for a half-day Winter Session designed to strengthen your ability to work effectively with elected and appointed officials. Led by retired San Mateo City Manager Drew Corbett, this interactive workshop will explore real-world strategies, case studies, and practical tools you can apply immediately in your organization. Attendees will earn 1 full CGL Core Credit for the “Relationships with Elected/Appointed Officials” topic. Learn more and register here.
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Cal Cities 2025 Fire Chiefs Leadership Seminar
and 2025 Municipal Finance Institute*
Wednesday, December 10 – Thursday, December 11, 2025
The Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel
888 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Designed for fire service leaders — including fire chiefs, battalion chiefs, senior command staff, and union leadership — this seminar offers sessions on leadership, succession planning, labor relations, emergency response, changes in fire insurance, and more. Learn more about the Fire Chiefs Leadership Seminar here.
Designed for city officials and staff involved in fiscal planning for municipalities, the Municipal Finance Institute connects finance directors and other municipal finance professionals with the essential information they need. Learn more about the Municipal Finance Institute here.
*These two events are happening simultaneously in the same location.
| | PLATINUM LEVEL PARTNER SPOTLIGHT | | |
Renne Public Law Group (RPLG)
Founded by Louise Renne, Jon Holtzman, and Art Hartinger, Renne Public Law Group practices throughout California, advising and advocating for public agencies and nonprofits, providing forward-thinking, responsive and creative legal solutions. Visit their website to find out more.
| | SUPPORTING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN THE FIELD | | |
Exploring Innovation at the 3rd Annual Clean Mobility Forum
This year’s Clean Mobility Forum showcased innovative and equitable solutions to achieve zero net carbon transportation, especially for under-resourced communities in California. It was a great opportunity for Nikita to connect in-person with clean mobility project awardees and experts in the field, as well as learn about and share project lessons and successes. She’s pictured here with Andres from People for Mobility Justice — one of our partners on our California Air Resources Board (CARB) Clean Mobility work — and some of our partners from the Stockton Mobility Collective.
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Growing Our Apprenticeship Expertise at the Advancing California Apprenticeship Summit
ILG team member Gina Roberson connected with apprenticeship practitioners, industry partners, funders, and key stakeholders from across the state at the Advancing California Apprenticeship Summit. The summit offered workshops, presentations, and discussions that demonstrated cutting-edge strategies and real-world examples that are shaping the future of apprenticeship, including a field trip to Riverside Community College to learn about their current apprenticeship programs. Gina is pictured here with Nicole Pacada, Strategic Business Advisor from Department of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS).
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Educating and Assisting City Leaders at the Cal Cities Annual Conference
Our sincerest thanks to every city official, staff member, and leader who joined our sessions and chatted with us at our booth at the 2025 League of California Cities Conference and Expo in Long Beach. Our four sessions on Erosion of Trust in Government, Climate Adaptation, Harassment Prevention, and Understanding Public Service Ethics Laws were well-attended and gave us the opportunity to connect with many of you one-on-one. We enjoyed discussing the complex challenges you face in running your agencies, and we hope the resources we surfaced make your roles easier. Please feel free to reach out to us anytime if there is more we can do to support you. Also, congratulations to Kevin Brooks from the City of Moreno Valley for winning our 70th Anniversary Bluetooth speaker giveaway!
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Understanding Apprenticeship Possibilities on a SMUD Power Academy Tour
Erica and Amanda recently toured the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) Power Academy: a hands-on training facility that prepares individuals for careers in the utility and energy sectors. They are pictured here with Jason Cameron, the Power Academy’s manager. The Academy’s success — demonstrated by strong completion and job placement rates — illustrates how public agencies can design sustainable pipelines into high-demand careers. This approach aligns closely with ILG’s Bridge Public Sector Apprenticeships initiative, which helps local governments create earn-and-learn programs that build skills, strengthen communities, and expand access to public service careers.
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Finding Inspiration at the Sacramento County T.H.R.I.V.E. Summit
Amanda and Kristy were proud to attend the Sacramento County T.H.R.I.V.E. Summit and Community Engagement Mixer at Sacramento State, where local leaders, community organizations, and residents came together to advance transparency, trust, and equity in local government. Events like this reinforce the power of collaboration between local agencies and communities to strengthen California’s public workforce.
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Discussing the State’s Future at the California Economic Summit
Erica, Grace, and Nikita attended the 2025 California Economic Summit to participate in energetic discussions on regional economic development, fiscal resilience, democracy and free speech, immigration, and more. Erica also served as an expert evaluator for the Resilient Cities Catalyst and California Resilience Project Accelerator initiative tied to climate smart funding. We look forward to putting our new knowledge to work as we support local governments in building an economy that is resilient, sustainable, and inclusive. The 2025 California Economic Summit in Stockton delivered big ideas and bold solutions, as leaders from across the state came together, sparking energetic discussions on regional economic development, fiscal resilience, democracy and free speech, immigration, and more.
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Connecting with County and City Leaders at the 2025 ICMA Conference
Erica attended the ICMA Annual Conference in Tampa, Florida where she presented with an all-star panel of California city and county leaders on the future of the public sector workforce and new strategies to drive greater awareness, employee satisfaction and retention. Thank you to Conrad Fernandes, Christina Turner, and Peter Pirnejad! Erica was also able to connect with hundreds of California city managers and CAOs, including a number of ILG board members, like ILG board chair Brett Channing (Corona), Executive Committee member Pat Martel (Cal-ICMA), Jonathan Royas (MMASC), and more.
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Promoting Public Sector Jobs at the Health Education Council Invest Health Event
Erica moderated an economic development panel on Bridging Systems for Workforce Success for the Health Education Council’s recent breakfast event in Placer County. The event focused on the linkage between economic development and workforce development, and how regional ecosystems can connect education, employers and government to achieve positive health outcomes. Erica featured the recent ILG Public Sector Needs Assessment for the Greater Sacramento region, which highlighted the value of public sector jobs in the region and how to better align regional workforce goals and include public sector jobs as a key employment sector.
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Good Relationships Make for Good Governance
In this Western City article, El Cerrito City Manager Karen Pinkos and Mayor Pro Tem Gabe Quinto share their insights on the factors that make a good council-manager relationship work, which translate into smooth city operations. Hint: it doesn’t happen overnight.
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2025 State of Engagement Report
UC Berkeley’s Possibility Lab offers up a collection of case studies examining how California is advancing civic engagement, participatory policymaking, and community outreach to improve connection and trust.
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The Undervalued Power of Apprenticeships
This Governing.com article lays out the reasons we need to build a better and more modern U.S. apprenticeship system and launch programs faster, right now.
| | ILG PARTNER NEWS, UPDATES & EVENTS | | |
Conflict of Interest Code 101: Stay Compliant, Stay Confident
Thursday, November 13, 2025
10 - 11:30 AM
Join BBK’s Nicholaus Norvell and Cathy Robles for an essential webinar on understanding and navigating the Conflict of Interest Code. Gain valuable insights into the authority and purpose behind the Code, its required components, and who it impacts — including the various types of designated filers. This informative session will walk you through the practical steps for reviewing and amending a Code, from identifying affected individuals to adopting amendments, securing approvals, and understanding the responsibilities of Code-reviewing bodies.
Whether you're new to the process or looking for a refresher, this training will equip you with the knowledge to stay compliant and confident. Register here.
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Fire Resilient Development: How Science-Informed Community Planning Can Contribute to Housing Affordability in California
California's housing crisis is worsened by wildfire-related insurance instability and constrained development. This new white paper by XyloPlan argues that wildfire risk itself shouldn't halt building. Instead, we should be advocating for science-driven, resilient communities engineered to be fire-adaptive. This approach can simultaneously increase housing supply, improve affordability, and stabilize the insurance market.
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Demystifying CCAs: Empowering Communities & Shaping the Future of Energy
This thought leadership piece from Tripepi Smith explains why Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) should embrace benefit-driven communication and authentic community engagement to help communities better understand who they are and what they do.
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2026 Academies and Summits:
A Look Ahead
The California Joint Powers Insurance Authority offers immersive, multi-day learning experiences throughout the year for its members. They recently released their current 2026 schedule of academies and summits, ranging from the Risk Management Academy in April to the Supervisor Academy in September.
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