POY: A Mayor's Legacy: Economic Growth, Historical Reckoning

10/10/24 • 20 min

G.T. Bynum is leaving the family business. The outgoing mayor of Tulsa, Okla., is the fourth member of his family to lead the city. The former city councilmember became mayor in 2016. During his tenure, he implemented a data-driven approach to real-time policing while focusing on redressing racial disparity and fostering economic vitality. That vision and his pragmatic approach to turning around a struggling city earned him recognition as a Public Official of the Year, a designation from Governing magazine.

In this episode, Governing Senior Writer Jared Brey joins the podcast to extract lessons from Bynum’s time in office and examine what’s next for the mayor and his city.

Show Notes

Here are the top 5 takeaways from this episode:

Economic Revitalization and Growth: Bynum played a pivotal role in Tulsa’s economic development by attracting new employers like Amazon and encouraging remote workers to return to the city, contributing to its economic rejuvenation.
Acknowledging Racial History: Bynum openly recognized the Tulsa Race Massacre, which had long been overlooked, and led efforts to search for and identify victims. While it may not have resulted in full reconciliation, his actions brought greater attention to Tulsa’s historical racial violence.
Navigating Racial Inequality: Bynum faced challenges in addressing racial inequality and police reform, especially during the protests of 2020. His leadership during these times was scrutinized, and some criticized him for not taking stronger action on police reform.
Nonpartisan Leadership: As a Republican, Bynum prided himself on governing in a nonpartisan manner, seeking to unite different political groups and focusing on common goals rather than ideological divides. His reputation for nonpartisanship was a defining feature of his leadership.
Future Path and Legacy: Bynum will leave office to join the private sector, specifically Saint Francis Health System, though he has left the door open for potential future public service. He is credited with positioning Tulsa for future growth, fostering a vision where young people could see opportunities to build in the city.

Related Links to stories referenced in the episode:

Public Officials of the Year: Overview
How a Fourth-Generation Mayor Reshaped His Hometown (Bynum POY profile)

Our editors used ChatGPT 4.0 to summarize the episode in bullet form to help create the show notes. The main image for this story was created using DALL-E 3.

Listen to this episode on the player below or subscribe for free on YouTube or the podcast app of your choice — Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audacy and Audible.

In this episode, Governing Senior Writer Jared Brey joins the podcast to extract lessons from Bynum’s time in office and examine what’s next for the mayor and his city.

Show Notes

Here are the top 5 takeaways from this episode:

Economic Revitalization and Growth: Bynum played a pivotal role in Tulsa’s economic development by attracting new employers like Amazon and encouraging remote workers to return to the city, contributing to its economic rejuvenation.
Acknowledging Racial History: Bynum openly recognized the Tulsa Race Massacre, which had long been overlooked, and led efforts to search for and identify victims. While it may not have resulted in full reconciliation, his actions brought greater attention to Tulsa’s historical racial violence.
Navigating Racial Inequality: Bynum faced challenges in addressing racial inequality and police reform, especially during the protests of 2020. His leadership during these times was scrutinized, and some criticized him for not taking stronger action on police reform.
Nonpartisan Leadership: As a Republican, Bynum prided himself on governing in a nonpartisan manner, seeking to unite different political groups and focusing on common goals rather than ideological divides. His reputation for nonpartisanship was a defining feature of his leadership.
Future Path and Legacy: Bynum will leave office to join the private sector, specifically Saint Francis Health System, though he has left the door open for potential future public service. He is credited with positioning Tulsa for future growth, fostering a vision where young people could see opportunities to build in the city.

Related Links to stories referenced in the episode:

Public Officials of the Year: Overview
How a Fourth-Generation Mayor Reshaped His Hometown (Bynum POY profile)

Our editors used ChatGPT 4.0 to summarize the episode in bullet form to help create the show notes. The main image for this story was created using DALL-E 3.

Listen to this episode on the player below or subscribe for free on YouTube or the podcast app of your choice — Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audacy and Audible.

Previous Episode

POY David Crowley: Could Have Been a Carpool

On this episode, we look at Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley’s innovative approach to tackling homelessness, budget challenges and systemic inequality. Crowley is among those recognized by Governing’s returning Public Officials of the Year award series.

Created three decades ago to spotlight solutions, not scandals, the Public Officials of the Year (POY) awards are back. Governing magazine, the sister publication of Government Technology*, is again recognizing a select group of people who make government work.

For its part, The Future In Context podcast is dedicating October to deep dives on POY’s Class of 2024. You’ll hear from public officials themselves and the writers who profiled them in the fall issue of Governing.

In this episode, we examine Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and his work to reduce homelessness, reshape public health, lead collaboratively and think strategically about the community’s next chapter. Governing Editor Alan Greenblatt joins the podcast to put Milwaukee’s future in context.

SHOW NOTES

Here are the top five takeaways from this episode:

The Revival of Public Officials of the Year: Greenblatt discusses the return of Governing magazine’s Public Officials of the Year awards after its print edition was discontinued in 2019. The awards celebrate individuals who have made significant contributions to state and local government. The focus is on recognizing solutions rather than highlighting conflicts or scandals.
Collaborative Leadership in Milwaukee: David Crowley, Milwaukee County executive, and Mayor Cavalier Johnson are highlighted as prime examples of close political collaboration. Their longstanding relationship and cooperative work have led to legislative successes, like allowing Milwaukee County to raise local sales taxes, which has helped address long-standing budget issues. The two were together so often that they joked they should have carpooled.
Systemic and Long-Term Vision: Crowley is praised for taking a long-term, systems-based approach to governance. His focus on integrating various government initiatives (housing, health, etc.) under a strategic vision contrasts with the short-term crisis management that often dominates government action. His approach is aimed at improving health outcomes, housing and other critical public services in Milwaukee.
Success in Reducing Homelessness With Housing First: Milwaukee County’s successful implementation of the Housing First model has resulted in a 92 percent reduction in homelessness over a decade. Greenblatt emphasizes the collaborative efforts between the county, city and nonprofit organizations as key to this achievement.
Challenges and Future Aspirations for Milwaukee: Despite significant progress, Milwaukee still faces challenges, including opioid addiction, traffic fatalities and income disparities. Both Crowley and Johnson have ambitious goals to change the perception of Milwaukee, with hopes for future growth, although there is skepticism about whether it will achieve the rapid development seen in cities like Nashville or Austin.

Related Links to stories referenced in the episode:

· Public Officials of the Year: A Special Note from Our Publisher

· After Decades, a County’s Budget Gets Back on Track (Crowley POY profile)

Our editors used ChatGPT 4.0 to summarize the episode in bullet form to help create the show notes. The main image for this story was created using DALL-E 3.

Next Episode

POY: Centering Public Health

After guiding the Texas county through the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Philip Huang, its health director, pushed for collaboration and long-term strategies to prepare for future crises. Data modernization proved to be crucial.

Huang has spent his career navigating the complexities of public health with a mission to impact as many families as possible. From his early experiences in Nepal that shifted his focus from family medicine to public health, to leading Dallas County through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the county health director has championed data modernization and transparency as key tools in building public trust. His unique perspective, shaped by work at local, state and federal levels, drives his vision for a more resilient, collaborative and depoliticized approach to public health in the future.

Huang is one of Governing’s* 2024 Public Officials of the Year, a special recognition of people who make government work. Governing Senior Staff Writer Carl Smith joins the podcast to discuss Huang’s work and review the key takeaways from his interview with Huang.

SHOW NOTES:

Here are the top 5 takeaways from this episode:

Motivation for Pursuing Public Health: Huang, Dallas County's health director, shifted from family medicine to public health after a formative experience in Nepal. He realized he could impact more families by addressing broader public health issues rather than individual patient care.
Public Health Challenges During COVID-19: Huang was frustrated with political polarization surrounding public health during COVID-19. He stresses the need for long-term strategies and infrastructure to better prepare for future pandemics, highlighting the importance of depoliticizing health recommendations.
Data Modernization for Effective Public Health: There is a life-or-death need for robust data systems in public health. Early in the pandemic, Dallas County relied on outdated methods like fax and paper. The modernization of data infrastructure allowed for better decision-making and community trust during the pandemic.
Building and Sustaining Public Trust: Transparency and communication with the public played a key role in building trust. Huang’s efforts included establishing a public health portal and regularly sharing data and updates to keep the community informed.
Collaboration Across Public Health Levels: Huang’s experience working at local, state and federal levels gives him a unique perspective on how different agencies view public health. He uses this understanding to facilitate communication and cooperation across these sectors, ensuring a more cohesive approach to health challenges.

Related Links to stories referenced in the episode:

Public Officials of the Year: Overview
Bringing Data to Bear on Public Health Outcomes (Huang POY profile)

Our editors used ChatGPT 4.0 to summarize the episode in bullet form to help create the show notes. The main image for this story was created using DALL-E 3.