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Community Catalysts: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Matt Lehrman
Community Catalysts is a weekly podcast from Social Prosperity Partners, hosted by Matt Lehrman, where leaders from local government and nonprofits reflect on what they've learned—often the hard way—and share practical wisdom for those working to strengthen their communities.
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- Today40 min
Be a Person for Others" with Karen Corbett Sanders, Co-Director of the Regional Elected Leaders Initiative at George Mason University
Karen Corbett Sanders has built a career across international business, technology, public education, and elected service, with relationships and listening as a constant thread. Drawing on experiences from corporate boardrooms in Europe to eight years on the Fairfax County School Board, Karen reflects on why leaders need to slow down, create space to think, and listen beyond the loudest voices. She explores the important transition from campaigning to governing, the courage it takes to say "I need to think about this," and why strong communities depend on relationships built long before a difficult decision demands them. Today, Karen helps bring elected leaders from across Northern Virginia together to learn from one another, build relationships across jurisdictional boundaries, and tackle regional challenges no community can solve alone. Her advice for getting started is wonderfully simple: Pick up the phone. LINKS Ask a Question or Leave a Comment: 602-688-2724 Send Matt a Note: Matt@SocialProsperity.us Apply to Be a Podcast Guest: CatalystGuest.us On Substack: Democracy Runs on Dialogue™ Connect on LinkedIn: MattLehrmanProduced by Social Prosperity Partners
- 6 days ago36 min
"You Can't Write City Hall" with Former Mayor & Comedian Jeremy Nunes
Jeremy Nunes was a stand-up comedian looking for an extra $75 a month when he decided to run for his small-town board. Two years later, campaigning as "a real joker in office," he was elected mayor of Dawson, Illinois. Then the joke got serious. A broken water main threatened the town's water supply. Flooding put its water plant at risk. Residents resisted change. A pig got loose on Main Street. And the job Jeremy thought might take five hours a week sometimes demanded six or seven hours a day. In this funny and surprisingly thoughtful conversation, Jeremy reflects on what happens when someone who never expected to become a civic leader suddenly has people depending on him. He and Matt talk about crisis leadership, supporting staff, confronting "that's how we've always done it," and learning on the job when there's no manual for what comes next. Most of all, Jeremy offers a simple reason more people should consider serving their communities: "People did it for you." LINKS Jeremy Nunes: https://www.jeremynunes.com/ Ask a Question or Leave a Comment: 602-688-2724 Send Matt a Note: Matt@SocialProsperity.us Apply to Be a Podcast Guest: CatalystGuest.us On Substack: Democracy Runs on Dialogue™ Connect on LinkedIn: MattLehrmanProduced by Social Prosperity Partners
- 2 weeks ago47 min
"Leading a Downtown" with Philip Falcone, Ward 1 Councilmember, Riverside, California
Who owns the problem when no one person or organization is actually in charge? Philip Falcone represents downtown Riverside, California, a complex ecosystem of residents, businesses, government agencies, cultural institutions, historic infrastructure, and competing community needs. In this conversation, Philip explores what it takes to lead where responsibility is shared: bringing people together who don't report to one another, negotiating with colleagues for limited resources, balancing compassion with economic vitality, and helping people understand problems that local government cannot solve alone. He also shares how losing his family's home in Hurricane Katrina shaped his commitment to public service and his conviction that local government's most fundamental responsibilities are often the ones people barely notice, until something fails. LINKS Ask a Question or Leave a Comment: 602-688-2724 Send Matt a Note: Matt@SocialProsperity.us Apply to Be a Podcast Guest: CatalystGuest.us On Substack: Democracy Runs on Dialogue™ Connect on LinkedIn: MattLehrmanProduced by Social Prosperity Partners
- 3 weeks ago45 min
"Relationships Are the Currency of Leadership" with David Ramadan, Former Virginia Delegate & Professor of Practice, George Mason University
What becomes possible when we stop questioning the intentions of people with whom we disagree? David Ramadan, former member of the Virginia House of Delegates and Professor of Practice at George Mason University, believes relationships are the currency of leadership. Drawing on his journey from war-torn Beirut to elected office in Virginia, David shares how relationships helped him win across party lines, build bipartisan support for election reform, and work productively with people whose politics differed sharply from his own. Along the way, he makes the case that disagreement need not become distrust, that leaders don't need to pretend they know everything, and that the relationships we build before we need them may determine what becomes possible when difficult decisions arrive. LINKS Ask a Question or Leave a Comment: 602-688-2724 Send Matt a Note: Matt@SocialProsperity.us Apply to Be a Podcast Guest: CatalystGuest.us On Substack: Democracy Runs on Dialogue™ Connect on LinkedIn: MattLehrmanProduced by Social Prosperity Partners
- 4 weeks ago45 min
"Seeing Local Government from the Outside" with Mary Ramsey, Local Government Accountability Reporter, The Charlotte Observer
What does local government look like to someone whose job is to watch it closely, ask difficult questions, and explain its decisions to everyone else? Mary Ramsey, local government accountability reporter for The Charlotte Observer, offers a journalist's perspective on the people and processes of local government: what accountability means, how reporters decide what is newsworthy, and how shrinking newsroom resources affect what communities see and understand. She also shares what she has learned from watching elected officials up close, including why transparency sometimes means acknowledging what government cannot do, why good leadership cannot be about making everyone happy, and why citizens have a responsibility to pay attention and participate before decisions are made. LINKS Ask a Question or Leave a Comment: 602-688-2724 Send Matt a Note: Matt@SocialProsperity.us Apply to Be a Podcast Guest: CatalystGuest.us On Substack: Democracy Runs on Dialogue™ Connect on LinkedIn: MattLehrmanProduced by Social Prosperity Partners
- Sep 1, 202634 min
"Building Something Bigger Than Yourself" with Nick Rutledge, Mayor, Moody, Alabama
What happens when someone enters public service to improve one part of their community and discovers a responsibility to the whole? Nick Rutledge, Mayor of Moody, Alabama, began his career as an apprentice carpenter and spent nearly three decades in commercial construction before a desire to improve opportunities for his daughter and other young people drew him into community service, city council, and eventually the mayor's office. In this conversation, Nick shares what construction taught him about leadership, how elected office changed his understanding of why government moves deliberately, and what it means to balance growth with preserving the character of a community. He also explains why he still drives a school bus, why listening matters even when you disagree, and why his approach to leadership begins with a simple conviction: "It's not about me. It's about something bigger than me." LINKS Ask a Question or Leave a Comment: 602-688-2724 Send Matt a Note: Matt@SocialProsperity.us Apply to Be a Podcast Guest: CatalystGuest.us On Substack: Democracy Runs on Dialogue™ Connect on LinkedIn: MattLehrmanProduced by Social Prosperity Partners
- Jul 28, 202637 min
"Creating Spaces Where People Heal" with Matt Sandoval, CEO, Art Heals Arizona
What if the first responsibility of leadership isn't solving problems, but creating the conditions where people feel safe enough to face them? Matt Sandoval, CEO of Art Heals Arizona, believes that trust, connection, and resilience begin with one fundamental human need: to be seen and understood. Through arts-based experiences and caring adult mentors, Art Heals Arizona helps young people affected by trauma discover confidence, belonging, and hope for the future. In this conversation, Matt shares how his work in education, clinical practice, and nonprofit leadership has shaped his belief that organizations are human systems, not just structures to manage. He explains why leaders must seek understanding before action, how to create spaces where people can be honest about challenges, and what attachment teaches us about building stronger relationships. Matt also offers a powerful perspective on bridging divides in our communities: recognizing that different experiences and perspectives are not weaknesses to overcome, but strengths we need in order to move forward together. LINKS Ask a Question or Leave a Comment: 602-688-2724 Send Matt a Note: Matt@SocialProsperity.us Apply to Be a Podcast Guest: CatalystGuest.us On Substack: Democracy Runs on Dialogue™ Connect on LinkedIn: MattLehrmanProduced by Social Prosperity Partners
- Jul 21, 202635 min
"From Cowboy to Cow Man" with Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon
What does it mean to lead people who deeply value independence while recognizing that no community succeeds alone? Raised on his family's ranch in rural Wyoming, Governor Mark Gordon learned early that responsibility begins with doing your own work, but leadership grows through trusting neighbors, sharing burdens, and working toward a common purpose. Those lessons have shaped his approach to public service, from local school boards to the Governor's Office. In this conversation, Governor Gordon reflects on the values that define Wyoming, why humility is as important as self-reliance, and how local leaders can balance independence with collaboration. He also shares why he believes public education is one of government's highest responsibilities, and how Wyoming's RIDE Initiative brings together educators, parents, students, and employers to create more engaging, locally responsive schools. Throughout, he offers practical insights into leadership, community trust, and the enduring value of solving problems together LINKS Ask a Question or Leave a Comment: 602-688-2724 Send Matt a Note: Matt@SocialProsperity.us Apply to Be a Podcast Guest: CatalystGuest.us On Substack: Democracy Runs on Dialogue™ Connect on LinkedIn: MattLehrmanProduced by Social Prosperity Partners
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About Community Catalysts
Community Catalysts is a weekly podcast from Social Prosperity Partners, hosted by Matt Lehrman, where leaders from local government and nonprofits reflect on what they've learned—often the hard way—and share practical wisdom for those working to strengthen their communities.
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