Valerie Lemmie

MEMBER SINCE: 1998

Valerie is the Director of Exploratory Research at the Kettering Foundation. Prior to this position, she served as City Manager for Petersburg, Virginia, Dayton, and Cincinnati, Ohio. She was Commissioner, Public Utility Commission of Ohio; District Director and Acting Chief of Staff for Congressman Turner (Ohio's 10th District). She also served as an Adjunct Professor at Howard University and the University of Dayton and as a Fellow at the Center for Municipal Management at George Washington University. She is Chair of the Dayton History Board of Directors; Board Member, Dayton Foundation; Immediate Past Chair, National Civic League Board; Trustee and Treasurer of Initiatives of Change, USA; Executive Committee Member, Deliberative Democracy Consortium; Vice Chair, Ohio Matriots Board of Directors; and Past Board Chair and Fellow, National Academy of Public Administration. She holds a B. A. in political science and urban sociology from the University of Missouri and an M.A. in Urban Affairs/Public Policy Planning from Washington University. Valerie is a published author and noted speaker on democratic governance and civic engagement.

History of Employment

Position

Division

Organization

Start

End

Director of Exploratory Research

Kettering Foundation

Director

Eastern Interconnection States Planning Council

District Director

Congressman Mike Turner's Office

Commissioner

Ohio Public Utilities Commission

Scholar-in-Residence

The Charles F. Kettering Foundation

City Manager

City of Cincinnati Ohio

City Manager

City of Dayton, Ohio

City Manager

City of Petersburg, Virginia

Director

Department of Environmental Services

City of Arlington, Virginia

Assistant Professor

Howard University

Deputy Director

Department of Consumer/Regulatory Affairs

Government of the District of Columbia

Assistant to the Director

Department of Consumer/Regulatory Affairs

Government of the District of Columbia

Project Director

Minority Business Development Services

One America, Inc

Special Assistant

Office of Business and Economic Development

Financial Policy Analyst/Course Manager

Office of Comptroller

Labor Department (on assignment from Kansas City, Missouri)

Primary Policy Areas

Civic Engagement, Intergovernmental System/Federalism, Intergovernmental Affairs and Coordination

Primary Sector of Expertise

Local

Primary Functions

City Management, Nonprofit / NGO leadership

Academy Studies

Protecting Free and Fair Elections: The Vital Role of Public Administration

Management Matters Podcast

Grand Challenge: Protect Electoral Integrity and Enhance Voter Participation

Fostering a Robust Democracy with Valerie Lemmie

Season: 1 Episode:25 | October 05, 2020

Show Notes:

In this episode, we welcome Valerie Lemmie, Former City Manager, Current Director of Exploratory Research at the Kettering Foundation, and Academy Fellow, to discuss her career path in public administration, lessons learned on the job including difficult leadership decisions, fostering a citizen-centered democracy, and maintaining a healthy democracy through citizen engagement.

With Valerie Lemmie, former City Manager, Current Director of Exploratory Research at the Kettering Foundation, and Academy Fellow

Topics Include:

Valerie's journey in public service from "young idealist" to learning the mechanics of governmental organization and institutionalizing necessary changes
The importance of staff work, and how she learned quality is more important the quantity
Managing daily crises and sticking to the courage of her convictions
The challenges of organizational change
Valerie's experience at the Kettering Foundation: Ensuring citizen engagement and adapting and taking advantage of remote work

Music Credits: Sea Breeze by Vlad Gluschenko | https://soundcloud.com/vgl9
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