We develop leaders, organizations, and partnerships with clients who are working toward a more just world.

Happy (sorta) fall! 🍂

This month we’re finishing a project with Ramsey County that brought together workforce providers, employers, and education partners to identify what it takes to build a more collaborative and sustainable youth workforce ecosystem.

Whether you work in workforce development or not, our key findings are applicable to any cross-sector collaboration:

• Collaboration is a strength and a challenge: Cross-sector partnerships drive much of the ecosystem’s success, but sustaining them requires significant time and energy.

• Transparency builds alignment: It’s not just about your organization doing the work, but also sharing with partners what you’re doing and how they can get involved.

• Relationships matter for financial sustainability: Connected organizations can lean on their partnerships when funding is tight.

Ultimately, strong systems are built not built on just individual organizations and people, but on the collaboration, trust, and connections among them.

Best,

Allison

What We’re Reading

The Values We Share: What People Want From Government

• This PolicyLink report analyzes interviews with Americans across the ideological spectrum to find their common values for government. Despite political divides, Americans share core values of accountability, compassion, dignity, and opportunity in government even if they share different ideas to bring it about.

Why study the well-being of Black boys and men?

• The Brookings Institute partnered with communities in Arkansas and Maryland for the Wellness in Black Life (WIBL) project, which engaged Black boys and men to define well-being. For many reasons, Black boys and men do not regularly participate in research studies, which leaves them out of well-being research. Participants emphasized that well-being encompasses individual health, family support, community connections, access to resources, and safe spaces for emotional expression.

Latest data are a mixed bag for Minnesota quality of life

• Minnesota Compass recently released new data on the quality of life of Minnesotans based on metrics for reading and math proficiency, economic output, and traffic safety. The good news? Workforce participation is increasing and traffic safety is improving. The bad news? Household income isn’t keeping up with inflation and education outcomes could be better.

Opportunities to Learn + Lead

Apolitical, in partnership with the National Academy of Public Administration and Humans of Public Service, is seeking nominations for bold and innovative public service projects from each U.S. state. If you know of a transformative project in your state, apply online by October 17 for it to be showcased and inspire broader change.

International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is now accepting applications for the 2026 Local Government Management Fellowship. This fellowship is a career development opportunity for recent graduates to receive 1-2 year experiences working in local government across the U.S. Apply online by December 19.

Jobs for Herocrats

Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) is hiring an Operations Strategist to design and execute work related to the Long-Range Planning Team’s operations, communications, and overall strategy. Applications are due October 13. More details are available online.

The City of Richmond in California is hiring a Chief Innovation Officer who will be lead citywide efforts related to innovation, continuous improvement, and data-informed decision-making. More details are available online.

Give a Herocrat the Spotlight

Know a state or local government employee who’s building relationships and making an impact in their community? Nominate them to be highlighted on our website, newsletter, and social media!

Pang Yang is the Director of Ramsey County Library in Minnesota. She believes libraries and government employers can be critical connectors for people, ideas, and resources. Read her story!