Our latest playbook guide aims to help you find an entry point into local policy engagement through service on an advisory board or commission. We walk you through how to overcome some of the common barriers, including identifying an advisory board and preparing for your interview and service.

Ken Massey uses Ph.D training in cardiovascular physiology to bring a technical background to local policy as part of the City Council and as Mayor of Farmington Hills, Michigan. ESAL interviewed Massey about his career trajectory as a scientist, educator, businessman, and elected official.

The MOST Policy Initiative connects Missouri scientists and policymakers during the development of new legislation. The initiative also runs the Missouri Science and Technology Policy Fellows Program, placing Ph.D.-level scientists in the Missouri General Assembly. Director Rachel Owen recently spoke to ESAL about MOST and its importance in Midwestern politics.

Monya Lane is the CEO of the Livermore Science & Society Center, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting people with science and technology. The group is in the planning phases of a science center to serve the students, families, and their communities of the California Tri-Valley area.

On September 12, ESAL hosted a roundtable discussion on local water policy in Oakland, California. The event featured a panel of San Francisco Bay Area leaders who contribute to innovation in water-related technologies and policy decision making.

Jennifer Robinson merges her data analytics job at SAS with local government solutions as a long-time elected official on the Town Council for Cary, North Carolina. In these roles, she works with governments and other stakeholders to harness the power of data analytics to improve local systems such as water use.

Rich Lechner is a lecturer at Stanford University and the VP of Business Development at UrbanLeap, a startup that provides a platform for local governments to harness innovative solutions. Previously at IBM, Lechner has a long background fostering urban sustainability through intelligent building design and smart infrastructure.

Henry (Hal) Cardwell, who earned a Ph.D. in geography and environmental engineering from Johns Hopkins University, has always been interested in systems. He recently finished a 3-year term as an elected school board official in the City of Alexandria, VA, applying this interest to a school district with 15,000 students.

Nigel Jacob, a Ph.D. computer scientist, co-chairs the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM) where he oversees local initiatives and innovative projects in Boston's mayoral office. Jacob spoke to ESAL about how MONUM brings an entrepreneurial spirit to Boston’s local bureaucracy.