"Kevin Lahner – Leading with Heart, Vision, and a Dedication to Community."
SGR’s 10 in 10 Note – February 26, 2025
Recently, I saw a LinkedIn article by Ben Thatcher, the city manager in Boerne, Texas. It was about Kevin Lahner, the city manager in Janesville, WI and the incredible passion and perseverance he brings to his job.
The article provides insight, humanity, and a sense of who Kevin is as a city manager and as a person. And therein lies its power. It’s not just about projects or plans or achievements, it’s about someone who consistently brings his whole self to his job—a job designed to serve the people in his community.
In emails with Ben, he explained that the article was inspired by conversations with other city managers about the negativity they were experiencing in their respective communities. He wanted to help flip the script by telling Kevin’s story. Ben promises more such stories. I think he’s onto something.
There are more than 14 million people working in local government across the U.S., yet much of local government, the people in it, and the good it does every day?remains a mystery to many. We should find ways to change that. It can start with a commitment to tell the stories.
Thank you to Ben Thatcher for allowing us to reprint his article here.
The article is entitled, "Kevin Lahner – Leading with Heart, Vision, and a Dedication to Community."?Read it here.
Have a good week, everybody.
From This Week's 10 in 10
A memo from the Office of Management and Budget freezing federal grants to states was canceled. But funds are still being kept back, and budget officers are looking for answers.
Technology is changing our world — and how we communicate — at an astonishing rate. So much so that entrepreneur Victor Riparbelli predicts that artificial intelligence will drive audio and video to replace text as our primary form of communication by the end of this decade. He imagines a world where anyone can create a Hollywood film, receive personalized education or communicate via hyper-realistic avatars — all in the time it takes to read a book.
State and federal government agencies have been taking action to appoint a dedicated staff member to lead on artificial intelligence. Is it necessary for cities and counties to create a similar role?
Featured Open Recruitments This Week
Check out all of SGR’s?Executive Recruitments?and share them with anyone in your network who might be looking for their next opportunity. ?
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Read the entire 10 in 10 online.