PSHRA's Public Eye Podcast

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May 2026

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The Public Eye Podcast uncovers and celebrates excellence at all levels of public sector HR. Produced by the Public Sector HR Association, providing human resource leadership, advocacy, professional development, and community for HR professionals in the public sector. ]]>

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59 recent

May 13, 2026Episode 6021 min

Episode 60: Working Toward Wellness with Jodi Outland and the Town of Cape Charles, Va.

Jodi Outland, director of human resources with the Town of Cape Charles, Va., recently joined the Public Eye podcast to chat about the Town’s Wellness & Health Incentive Program, or WHIP.The Town developed the program in 2023, to encourage employees to be vigilant about preventative care and to adopt a healthy lifestyle, offering workers a financial reward in the form of contributions to the Town’s employer-funded health reimbursement arrangement.

April 13, 2026Episode 5918 min

Episode 59: Invaluable Opinions: The Town of Bluffton's Anni Evans Talks Intern Exit Surveys

Anni Evans, director of human resources with the Town of Bluffton, S.C., recently joined the Public Eye podcast to give us an overview of the Town’s intern exit surveys – which she says have become a standard part of the Town’s intern lifecycle. Anni discussed the role of the Town’s HR team in creating the survey, the questions the survey includes and why, and how the feedback the Town receives figures to help shape its internship plan going forward.

March 17, 2026Episode 5817 min

Episode 58: Transforming City Hiring Processes with Shifra Goldenberg

Shifra Goldenberg, chief program officer with Work for America, recently joined the Public Eye podcast to talk about WFA’s upcoming Transforming City Hiring Processes workshop. The free, virtual workshop is part of Work for America’s Talent Accelerator Program, and runs from April 21 through June 9. In our recent chat, Shifra told us about the Talent Accelerator Program’s origins, what this upcoming spring workshop will entail, and what’s on the horizon for the program in the months ahead.

February 17, 2026Episode 5716 min

Episode 57: A Walkthrough of the Local Gov 250 Initiative with Wally Bobkiewicz

Wally Bobkiewicz is the city administrator with the City of Issaquah, Wash. He is also spearheading Local Gov 250, a national effort to honor and elevate the role of local government as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026. Wally recently joined the Public Eye podcast to talk a bit about this initiative—which PSHRA is proud to be a partner on, along with a number of other organizations—and what it has in store for the rest of 2026.

January 22, 2026Episode 5619 min

Episode 56: Talking Gender Transition in the Workplace with Amanda Hecker

Amanda Hecker is a retired teacher who has provided diversity training and education since leaving the classroom in 2024. Amanda is also a transgender woman, one of roughly 2.8 million individuals in the U.S. who identify as transgender, according to a 2025 estimate from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. Amanda recently joined the podcast to discuss the topic of gender transition in the workplace and provide answers to some common workplace-related questions regarding transgender individuals.

December 17, 2025Episode 5515 min

Episode 55: Preparing Public Sector Talent for Advancement with Kelli Bentley

Kelli Bentley, human resources director with Anniston Water Works & Sewer Board, in Anniston, Ala., recently joined the Public Eye podcast to offer an overview of the organization’s Cultivating Leadership, Excellence and Resources (C.L.E.A.R.) initiative, a three-session program designed to prepare the agency’s employees for career advancement in more senior roles.

November 5, 2025Episode 5418 min

Episode 54: Talking Turnover at the Top with Melissa Barker

The Public Eye podcast’s newest episode features Melissa Barker, vice president of practice development, with special expertise in recruiting, government and public sector organizations, at Duffy Group, a global recruitment firm based in Phoenix, Ariz. Melissa recently sat down with us to talk about “turnover at the top.” Our chat touched on what’s driving turnover at the senior levels of public sector organizations, the importance of “telling the agency’s story” in attracting the talent government agencies will need to keep its leadership pipeline flowing, and much more.

October 7, 2025Episode 5312 min

Episode 53: Jeanette Hamilton Joins the Podcast Live at PSHRA25

Jeanette Hamilton, director of human resources at North Valley Hospital, Okanogan County Public Hospital District #4, recently joined the Public Eye podcast for our first-ever episode with a live audience! Jeanette sat down with us on Sept. 30 at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown, site of PSHRA's 2025 national conference, to share her thoughts on the event, and talk about how she and her "scrappy" HR team are overcoming the biggest challenges facing them at the moment.

September 10, 2025Episode 5217 min

Episode 52: Emphasizing Employee Engagement with Pete Blank

Pete Blank, training and organizational development manager with the Personnel Board of Jefferson County in Birmingham, Ala., recently joined the Public Eye podcast to give us a preview of his upcoming presentation at PSHRA25, to be held Sept. 29 - Oct. 1 at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown. At the conference, Pete will discuss the J.O.B.S. Model of Employee Engagement, exploring the four key drivers that influence how employees feel about their work: Love Your Job, Love Your Organization, Love Your Boss, and Love Your Squad. Here, Pete gives us a sneak peek at his PSHRA25 session, including some practical strategies for leaders to foster an engaged workforce by strengthening those four pillars.

August 28, 2025Episode 5120 min

Episode 51: Assessing the OBBA Fallout with Jason Briefel

The passage of OBBA, signed into law on July 4, figures to reverberate throughout the public sector for years to come. The nearly $4 trillion economic and tax package includes major cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other programs, and investments in immigration enforcement and national defense. Now, state and local governments are working to implement the bill and its changes. Jason Briefel, partner and director of government and public affairs at Washington, D.C.-based Shaw Bransford & Roth, recently joined the Public Eye podcast to talk about OBBA's potential impact at the state and local government levels, in the short- and long-term.