Civility and Trust in Government

Public trust is essential to effective local government, and civility is one of the foundations that makes trust possible. As expectations rise and conversations become more complex, local government leaders are navigating how to foster respectful dialogue, strengthen relationships with their communities, and sustain confidence in public institutions. Join this timely session with your counterparts at the Alliance for Innovation to discuss current issues, share case studies and explore practical strategies for building and maintaining civility and trust in today’s public service environment.

Panel Members Include:

1. Heidi Behrends Cerniwey, City Manager, Ellensburg, WA

2. Emily Jacobs, Founder, Story Quilters Consulting

3. Caryn Champine, Transportation Services Director and member of Fort Collins Future’s Committee, Fort Collins, CO

During this meet up, participants will discuss:

• The connection between civility, transparency, and community trust

• Discuss approaches used for supporting respectful citizen engagement on difficult issues facing local municipalities

• Learn how these organizations have modeled constructive leadership during challenging conversations through two case studies

• Discuss ways to strengthen internal culture and external relationships at the same time

• Share peer insights on what worked

• Discuss how strategic foresight tools can be utilized to change the nature of the conversation and lead to positive results

• Building skills within the elected body and executive leaders to be ready for these dialogues

This session is designed for Alliance Circle members who are committed to strengthening public confidence and supporting productive civic dialogue. It will include presentations by our panel members and breakout rooms with your peers.  

Building trust is not a single initiative, it’s an ongoing leadership practice. Join us for a conversation focused on practical ideas, shared experiences, and strategies that help communities move forward together.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn about techniques of engagement to bridge political divides through dialogue

2. Identify strategic foresight tools that can be used to aid difficult discussions with the public in an effort to create a shared future

3. Utilize storytelling to help community build bridges

4. Building leadership capacity for community engagement

‍This is an Alliance for Innovation Member Circle Event.