Conference Overview: 

The U.S. public consistently reports that civility is essential to a functioning democracy. Yet incivility is (and historically has been) prevalent in political contexts. Public sector administrators encounter this incivility in ways big and small in their daily work. The increasing nationalization of local politics and rising mistrust and devaluation of public sector work create a challenging environment for the work CPM participants and alumni do. As the National CPM Consortium reminds us in our competencies, public sector leaders must manage the public trust through stewardship of public resources and contribute to the common good through accountability and transparency. Our conference will offer a new frame for that good work: narrative leadership. 

The conference will feature two keynote presentations from faculty doing extensive work in these areas: Professor Ashley Muddiman and Distinguished Professor Chris Koliba. Then, we'll dive into action with academic and practitioner breakouts. Our second morning will turn our focus to the capstone projects-including the ways many past projects have been great examples of narrative leadership in action. 

Conference participants will further their understanding of the Public Service Focus CPM competency, and collectively, we will: 

• Deepen our understanding the role of public administrators in carrying out the practices and values of democracy. 
• Learn the concept of narrative leadership and practice creating statements to counter incivility in their domains. 
• Learn additional tools and best practices to respond to incivility and rebuild trust in their communities. 

Conference Schedule:

Day 1: Tuesday, October 14, 2025
 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Conference Sessions
 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Social Event

Day 2: Wednesday, October 15, 2025
 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Conference Sessions

Planned Conference Sessions: 

The conference will feature keynote presentations from leading scholars—Professor Ashley Muddiman and Distinguished Professor Chris Koliba—followed by dynamic academic and practitioner breakout sessions. Our second morning will spotlight capstone projects, highlighting the ways many have embodied narrative leadership in action.  

Already planned breakouts include: 

• Melissa Harmer, Communications Director, City of Raymore, MO – Melissa hosts the new Say More in Raymore podcast, which seeks to increase public understanding of the City’s departments and the City’s work on behalf of residents. Melissa will speak about the impetus in starting a podcast and point to some early successes—including how the podcast helped provide in-depth information around a recent critical public safety sales tax measure
• Toni Wheeler, City Attorney, City of Lawrence, KS and Distinguished Professor Jay T. Johnson, University of Kansas – In 2023, as part of the rematriation project for the Sacred Red Rock, the City of Lawrence issued a formal apology to the Kaw Nation for the actions of city leaders in 1929. Toni Wheeler authored that apology on behalf of the City. She and Professor Johnson will discuss the purpose and art of apology-writing in restoring and building community trust.
• Kim Nakahodo, Deputy City Administrator, City of North Kansas City, MO – Kim will discuss the Citizens Academy she developed and teaches in for her community. In the Academy, Kim teaches about civic structures, norms, and values—including why the pace of government often moves more slowly than private enterprise. Kim will also point to the successes of the Academy, including the ways it has strengthened staff’s relationship with Council.

Call for Proposals:  

We invite proposals for breakout sessions that explore the ways narrative leadership can be practiced, taught, or supported across the public sector. These presentations should feature practitioner perspectives—the people out there doing this work on a daily basis. Sessions may take the form of presentations, workshops, panels, or interactive roundtables.  

Proposal Topics May Include (but are not limited to):  

• These may be full 45min presentations/discussions by themselves, or you can indicate that you’d like to be placed on a panel with others whose work shares a similar thread 
• Stories of narrative leadership in public administration that you’ve implemented in your organization   
• Strategies you’ve used for countering incivility in government or community settings  
• Community projects you’ve led or contributed to that reflect democratic values or narrative leadership 
• Tools you’ve used for rebuilding trust in public institutions  
• Capstone project case studies that reflect democratic values or narrative leadership    

Conference Objectives:  

• Proposals should help participants:  
• Deepen their understanding of the role of public administrators in carrying out the practices and values of democracy  
• Provide timely and real-life scenarios that practitioners can learn from about leading through distrust and incivility  
• Gain tools and best practices to respond to incivility and rebuild trust in their communities  
• Learn the concept of narrative leadership 

Submission Guidelines:  

Deadline to submit: June 20, 2025   

Session Criteria 

Length of session: 45 minutes (unless otherwise noted) 

You may submit planning to take the full time, or you may submit and request to be paired with other presenters sharing your theme. 

Format: Proposal should include a title, 150–300 word description, presenter(s) bio(s), and any A/V or space needs  

Submit to: Submit via https://share.hsforms.com/1G6AAukEkQpePWJjgp_1h6g1ic9g

Notifications sent by: July 31, 2025  

These breakouts will be practitioner-focused for an audience of practitioners. We especially encourage proposals from past CPM participants, public sector professionals, and community leaders who are working at the intersection of democracy, trust, and public service.