PSHRA's Public Eye Podcast

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.

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. 

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. 

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.    

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.