Across the Hall: What 80 Years of Public Service Taught Us About Culture and Crisis Leadership | Part 1

Welcome back to Public Voices by NEOGOV, a podcast built for public sector leaders, HR professionals, and public safety personnel who want real conversations about the work they do every day.In Part 1 of this special two-part roundtable, hosts Nicole Carlson and Doug Shoemaker sit down with Pamela Benjamin, retired Assistant City Manager for the City of Columbia, SC, Evan Kunert, retired Deputy Chief of the Kingman, AZ Police Department, and Bob Weck, retired Chief of Police for the Summit, NJ Police Department. Together they bring over 80 years of combined experience in HR, city management, and law enforcement to talk about the moments that define leaders and the ones that quietly break them.This episode covers crisis communication, accountability, psychological safety, and what burnout actually looks like from the inside.🎤 GUESTS:Pamela Benjamin - Retired Assistant City Manager for the City of Columbia, SC, with over 30 years of experience spanning HR, state government, and city leadership including roles as HR Director and Chief of Staff to the City Manager.Evan Kunert - Retired Deputy Chief of the Kingman, AZ Police Department with 23 years of service. Built and led the department's Professional Standards bureau, oversaw accreditation, and spent the last six years of his career addressing officer wellness and leadership gaps.Robert Weck - Retired Chief of Police for the Summit, NJ Police Department with 31 years of service, including 10 years as chief. Currently serves as a Public Safety Executive Advisor at PowerDMS by NEOGOV.HOSTED BY:⁠⁠⁠Nicole Carlson⁠⁠⁠ - Former public sector HR Director with nearly 20 years of experience, starting as a dispatcher straight out of high school and rising through the ranks to lead her organization's HR department.⁠⁠⁠Doug Shoemaker⁠⁠⁠ - 30-year law enforcement veteran who served as police chief at multiple agencies and spent over a decade leading public information and media relations.New episodes every Tuesday on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠, Spotify, and ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠.Sponsored by NEOGOV: Helping government HR and public safety agencies work smarter with AI, automation, and configuration. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠NEOGOV.com⁠⁠⁠The views and opinions expressed by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employer or any government agency. This podcast is produced by NEOGOV and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any governmental entity. Any references to products or services reflect personal experiences and are not official agency endorsements.