Strong community engagement takes more than good methods and skilled practitioners. It also needs visible support from the people at the top.
When leaders understand the value of engagement and actively stand behind it, teams have more room to build relationships, act on what they hear, and show residents that their input matters. Without that support, even well-designed engagement can struggle to influence decisions or build lasting trust.
In this masterclass, Go Vocal CEO Wietse Van Ransbeeck sits down with former Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace to explore what leadership buy-in looks like in practice. Drawing on Danene's experience building Lancaster's approach to neighborhood engagement, they'll discuss the role leaders can play in creating the conditions for meaningful participation, and what practitioners can do to bring leadership along.
We'll explore:
Whether you're a political leader looking to strengthen how your organization engages with residents, or a practitioner working to get leadership behind your efforts, this session will offer practical lessons for making engagement a shared priority.
