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About Civil Conversations

Meet Liz Civil Conversations' Host and Blogger

Thank you for checking out my page, podcast, or blog! I'm Liz, and I am the founder and host of Civil Conversations, a place for us to chat about NYC policy and politics with civil servants. I have been exposed to New York City civil service all my life. My father worked for the City for most of his adulthood and retired about 10 years ago. I would get chances to work with him, to hang with his coworkers and their families on their off time, and to see what humble, hard work looks like. Those memories, and those relationships, are ones that I cherish deeply. It wasn't necessarily intentional, but I had the chance to be exposed to city politics over those formidable years, and those experiences led me to have an interest in city government. I attended CUNY schools here in the city, studying Political Science and Public Administration, and started working for the City of New York right out of college. I interned at NYC Council, and a city agency, and started a full-time career back in 2009. I spent time working with the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development from 2008-2015, and the NYC Department of Education from 2015-2022. Being part of the sector, you also meet colleagues you partner with on inter-agency work, spouses, and friends that work in other agencies.
Over the years, I've had the chance to have some interesting conversations with colleagues, coworkers, and friends about what happens at work, what we think of the politics that are at play and that we've been at the mercy of, and at some point, there have always been ideas on ways we could approach things differently, to do things more effectively, more efficiently, be it fiscally or logistically. The disappointment I've always felt, in my work, and in these conversations, is that I have rarely been asked, or have been limited in the scope that I can have such an impact to inform policy or cost-saving measures or to provide consultation on meaningful decisions on programs to ensure that they are effective and will be successful. Many people who work, and know the issues and processes most intimately after working with people directly, do not get the opportunity to inform, ideate, create, or do meaningful work that taps into their expertise, passion, or potential. I no longer work for the City, but I believe so fervently in the competence and knowledge that exists among the hundreds of thousands of people who work to support this city's services, and know that there is so much to be learned from them to make New York City, it's systems, and it's services better. There is also much to contemplate about how we can lift them up to do their best work. It's my hope to facilitate meaningful, and thought-provoking chats, and to share alternative ways to look at current NYC events through a new lens.

What I hope to get from these Conversations

Elevating Civil Service
There are many incredible, hard-working civil servants that do amazing things, and have brilliant ideas. I aim to lift up those voices, to provide a platform to celebrate and acknowledge their work and resourcefulness, while making the case to invest in the workforce for the betterment of the city and its residents.
Increased Awareness of How things work
There is so much that is not seen, and truths that are not heard when it comes to criticism of city programs and services, and it's my goal to build awareness of how city policies and politics play out behind-the-scenes to improve the way we, as a city approach and address these issues by having a better understanding of how things actually work, to know how to truly improve them.
Increased awarness of What's not working
Again, there is so much insight that exists among the people that work in city agencies. Some things need to be dissected and examined to understand what works and what does not, and those that work in these systems every day can tell you, with precision, what isn't working, why, and how to make it better.
Providing Practical Solutions
Civil servants know the systems, and it's quircks, and are in the best position to provide solutions. Through these conversations, I aim to not just unearth issues, but to provide practical solutions from those closest to the work. With proper backing and support, such bottom-up ideation can make a meaningful impact on agencies and their outcomes.

Who Civil Conversations is for

Civil Servants
I hope that other civil servants will tune into these episodes, and read our posts to get inspired, and motivated, and will be connected more greatly to each other, and the movement of uplifting our work, its importance, and our individual and collective value. Success stories, shout-outs, personal recounts, ideas for conversations, changes to policy, and more are welcomed as we explore how to raise and empower other colleagues, their perspectives, and untapped expertise.
City Administrators, and Elected Officials
The time and space to have these conversations are often not provided within agencies. Time is not prioritized, and can be perceived as a waste of tax dollars, but nothing can be further from the truth. My hope is that these conversations will empower, and create a runway for administrators and elected officials to promote ways to advance the sector and initiatives that improve how agencies are run, thereby improving and innovating the services provided. Some may also take civil servants and their expertise for granted, so perhaps this will allow leaders to see their employees in a new light, and encourage them to invest in their ideas, opinions, development, and growth.
Citizens
In the world of city politics, there are certain sides of the story that are shared with the public. There is what you hear on the ground when trying to tap into services, and that's a censored message. Then there's what you see on the news, and that's what is press worthy or sensational. Finally, there is what those that have the spotlight or mic share, which is likely to be filtered or tailored to favor their perspectives, or themselves. I hope to create a different perspective and one that will hopefully allow you to see things in a new way, or to ask new questions to push our agencies and officials to push for innovation in how we design and deliver services, and how we manage and develop our workforce.
News Outlets
Press conferences and interviews are most often done with people in higher positions, with more decision power and authority. Those are important, and those are the people to connect with to report on important news and updates, but I hope that these conversations will bring new issues and ideas to the forefront, and will also influence news reporters and outlets to see issues and policies in a new way, and to advocate for certain innovations with new insights, perspectives, and information in hand.
Future Public Servants and Managers
For those studying government, or considering working in the public sector, these conversations are for you too! You will read books, get a chance to meet with leaders, and those things are amazing and enlightening opportunities, but there are other perspectives that are overlooked and left out of the learning process. I would argue there is a lot to learn not from leaders at the top, but also from those working at all levels of agencies and organizations, and I hope these conversations and posts will help future public servants, managers, and leaders think about city services and it's people in a more dynamic and innovative way.
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