Finding Resiliency In Adversity
Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership
The Davenport Institute seeks to address California's public problems by promoting citizens' participation in governance
January has been a tough start to the new year for many in Los Angeles County. While the University itself wasn’t directly threatened by the fires this month, several members of the Pepperdine community, including students, lost their homes and all their belongings in the devastating blazes.
Though the Davenport Institute team didn’t suffer any direct losses, it’s hard to witness such a tragedy in the greater Los Angeles community and not feel a deep sense of grief, even while being profoundly grateful to have been spared.
As I reflect on this tragedy, I’m struck by the complexity of times like these: grief and gratitude, the desire to help and the urge to assign blame, profound loss and the need to rebuild, the needs of families and the responsibilities of government. These opposing emotions and perspectives are all valid, and it’s especially difficult to hold them in balance during times of crisis.
My hope and prayer is that all those impacted will find the strength and resilience to carry on. That individuals, neighborhoods, communities, and the governments that serve them will come together in respectful partnership. The road to recovery and rebuilding will be long, but I believe our shared human resilience will see us through.
Looking to Advance Your Public Engagement Skills?
Are you ready to become a leader in public engagement? The Professional Certificate in Public Engagement for Local Government will equip you with the tools, strategies, and the confidence needed to create meaningful dialogue with the communities you serve.?
This certificate benefits all local government professionals from line staff to City Managers, Police Chiefs to Planners, Recreation Coordinators to City Clerks, Community Development Directors to Public Works teammates.?
The Spring Cohort will take place virtually:
February 27 - April 3, 2025 from 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM PT
Apply today to secure your spot in this amazing certificate program!
Debut of new program: Conflict Resolution for Local Government
On January 20, our Executive Director, Maureen Tobin and Graduate Assistant, Nathan Peterson, MPP’25 delivered two trainings for the International Association of Government Officials (iGO) as the educational partner for their Certificate in Public Leader (CPL) program . Nathan debuted our newly developed Conflict Resolution for Local Government program to rave reviews. We look forward to offering this three hour program online in the very near future. Look for more information to come.
Call for Internships
Does your organization have? internship opportunities for the 2025? summer? We work with some amazing graduate students at the Pepperdine School of Public Policy and we’d love to connect them with you and your organization! Please reach out to our Assistant Director of Career Services, Karin Taylor. Her email is [email protected]
Upcoming events?
领英推荐
Melissa is a current Davenport Institute Advisory Council Member and the City of Santa Monica Community Partnerships Manager. She will share insights and advice from her work and how she's helping to bring an entrepreneurial mindset to revenue generation at the city.
The Pepperdine School of Public Policy will be hosting the Going Forward: Planning the Region’s Transportation Future in a Time of Crisis conference in downtown Los Angeles. The conference will cover topics like public transportation, housing and ways that the Los Angeles area can rebuild successfully after the fires. Our very own Advisory Council member, Dr. Kurt Wilson, will be a part of the “What Level Should These Decisions Be Made?” panel moderated by Dean Pete Peterson from the Pepperdine School of Public Policy.
Davenport Writings
We are happy to share that we have two articles recently published by ICMA;
The first is an academic article titled Sustainable Digital Innovation and Implementation written by two of our amazing advisory council members, Pooja Di Giovanna and Almis Udrys. Their writing explores how local governments can sustainably integrate digital innovation, emphasizing the need for strong leadership, a culture of innovation, and structured implementation. It’s free to download and located on page 77 of the PDF once downloaded.
The other published in the November issue of PM Magazine titled Rural Community Engagement was written by Caden Benedict, Pepperdine Law student, and Robert Jordan, Assistant Director of the Davenport Institute. Their writing explores different ways for rural governments to provide effective public engagement given the vast distances of community members at times.
What We are Reading:
I Never Thought of It That Way
Mónica Guzmán’s book I Never Thought of It That Way explores how to bridge political and ideological divides through curiosity and open dialogue. Drawing from her personal experiences as a journalist and the daughter of Mexican immigrants with opposing political views, Guzmán provides practical tools for engaging in meaningful conversations, listening without judgment, and understanding different perspectives. She argues that curiosity—rather than debate or persuasion—is key to breaking down misunderstandings, fostering empathy, and finding common ground in an increasingly polarized society.
Article's we found interesting this month
Public engagement and street design - Bloomberg
Reimagining the Civic Commons - Talking Headways Podcast