{"id":513,"date":"2026-08-14T16:14:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T21:14:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/?p=513"},"modified":"2026-08-14T16:14:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T21:14:30","slug":"gfg_ep105","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/","title":{"rendered":"From 9\/11 to Public Service (with Dustin Sternbeck) | Ground Floor Government Ep. 105"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this episode of Ground Floor Government, host Hugh Plappert interviews Dustin Sternbeck, the Chief Communication Officer of Denton, Texas. Dustin shares his unique journey into public service, driven by the events of 9\/11 and his desire to make a positive impact in his community. He discusses the essential skills needed for success in local government, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication. Dustin highlights the importance of community projects, such as the 31 Days of Denton Halloween, which significantly boosted local tourism and revenue. He also addresses the challenges of budgeting and resource management in local government, emphasizing the need for creativity and strategic thinking. Throughout the conversation, Dustin shares valuable advice for aspiring local government professionals, encouraging them to embrace their unique perspectives and take risks in their careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to explore your own local government career options?<\/strong> Download this free guide on how to transition into a successful career in local government: https:\/\/icma.org\/documents\/breaking-local-government-guidebook-career-transitions<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Dustin’s journey into public service was inspired by 9\/11.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Public service is about making a positive impact in the community.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Essential skills for local government include problem-solving and critical thinking.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Community projects can significantly boost local tourism and revenue.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Budgeting in local government requires creativity and strategic thinking.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Effective communication is crucial for balancing stakeholder interests.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Building relationships is key to success in local government.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Aspiring professionals should embrace their unique perspectives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Taking risks can open doors in a local government career.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Dustin emphasizes the importance of a ‘next play mentality’ in public service.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Sponsored by Switchboard.Live<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Summary In this episode of Ground Floor Government, host Hugh Plappert interviews Dustin Sternbeck, the Chief Communication Officer of Denton, Texas. Dustin shares his unique journey into public service, driven by the events of 9\/11 and his desire to make a positive impact in his community. He discusses the essential skills needed for success in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[36],"class_list":["post-513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technolgies","tag-audiopodcast"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFrom 9\/11 to Public Service (with Dustin Sternbeck) | Ground Floor Government Ep. 105 | PhoneLive Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Host Hugh Plappert interviews Dustin Sternbeck, the Chief Communication Officer of Denton, Texas. Dustin shares his unique journey into public service, driven by the events of 9\/11 and his desire to make a positive impact in his community. He discusses the essential skills needed for success in local government, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication. Dustin highlights the importance of community projects, such as the 31 Days of Denton Halloween, which significantly boosted local tourism and revenue. He also addresses the challenges of budgeting and resource management in local government, emphasizing the need for creativity and strategic thinking. Throughout the conversation, Dustin shares valuable advice for aspiring local government professionals, encouraging them to embrace their unique perspectives and take risks in their careers.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From 9\/11 to Public Service (with Dustin Sternbeck) | Ground Floor Government Ep. 105 From 9\/11 to Public Service (with Dustin Sternbeck) | Ep. 105\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Host Hugh Plappert interviews Dustin Sternbeck, the Chief Communication Officer of Denton, Texas. Dustin shares his unique journey into public service, driven by the events of 9\/11 and his desire to make a positive impact in his community. He discusses the essential skills needed for success in local government, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication. Dustin highlights the importance of community projects, such as the 31 Days of Denton Halloween, which significantly boosted local tourism and revenue. He also addresses the challenges of budgeting and resource management in local government, emphasizing the need for creativity and strategic thinking. Throughout the conversation, Dustin shares valuable advice for aspiring local government professionals, encouraging them to embrace their unique perspectives and take risks in their careers.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"PhoneLive Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PhoneLive.io\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-14T21:14:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-14T21:14:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/PL_Site.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Hugh Plappert\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"From 9\/11 to Public Service (with Dustin Sternbeck) | Ground Floor Government Ep. 105\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@PhoneLive_io\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@PhoneLive_io\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Hugh Plappert\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Hugh Plappert\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f45f58a0a738f6be4e4ef0519f99d117\"},\"headline\":\"From 9\/11 to Public Service (with Dustin Sternbeck) | Ground Floor Government Ep. 105\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-14T21:14:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-14T21:14:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/\"},\"wordCount\":269,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Podcast\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Technologies\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/\",\"name\":\"From 9\/11 to Public Service (with Dustin Sternbeck) | Ground Floor Government Ep. 105 | PhoneLive Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-14T21:14:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-14T21:14:30+00:00\",\"description\":\"Host Hugh Plappert interviews Dustin Sternbeck, the Chief Communication Officer of Denton, Texas. Dustin shares his unique journey into public service, driven by the events of 9\/11 and his desire to make a positive impact in his community. He discusses the essential skills needed for success in local government, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication. Dustin highlights the importance of community projects, such as the 31 Days of Denton Halloween, which significantly boosted local tourism and revenue. He also addresses the challenges of budgeting and resource management in local government, emphasizing the need for creativity and strategic thinking. Throughout the conversation, Dustin shares valuable advice for aspiring local government professionals, encouraging them to embrace their unique perspectives and take risks in their careers.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"From 9\/11 to Public Service (with Dustin Sternbeck) | Ground Floor Government Ep. 105\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"PhoneLive.io Church Tech Blog\",\"description\":\"Turn your live stream into a phone call. Phone streaming for churches and local governments \u2014 reach seniors and offline members, no internet needed.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#organization\"},\"alternateName\":\"PL - Church Tech Blog\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"PhoneLive.io\",\"alternateName\":\"PL\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/New-Logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/New-Logo.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"PhoneLive.io\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PhoneLive.io\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/PhoneLive_io\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/phonelive\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@PhoneLive\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f45f58a0a738f6be4e4ef0519f99d117\",\"name\":\"Hugh Plappert\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/32555a63035a9b779ebc61330c883b660034bf089be5a5d0cac05919ea27b117?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/32555a63035a9b779ebc61330c883b660034bf089be5a5d0cac05919ea27b117?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Hugh Plappert\"},\"description\":\"Hugh Plappert co-founded PhoneLive with his son David, building the phone-streaming platform now used by 1,200+ churches and local governments to reach members and residents who cannot get online. Drawing on 41 years in ministry and operations, Hugh leads PhoneLive's operations and customer success, keeping the technology simple enough for any volunteer to run so homebound and offline members are never left behind. Based in Saint Paul, Minnesota.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/plappert\/\"],\"jobTitle\":\"Co-founder & Chief Officer, PhoneLive\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"From 9\/11 to Public Service (with Dustin Sternbeck) | Ground Floor Government Ep. 105 | PhoneLive Blog","description":"Host Hugh Plappert interviews Dustin Sternbeck, the Chief Communication Officer of Denton, Texas. Dustin shares his unique journey into public service, driven by the events of 9\/11 and his desire to make a positive impact in his community. He discusses the essential skills needed for success in local government, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication. Dustin highlights the importance of community projects, such as the 31 Days of Denton Halloween, which significantly boosted local tourism and revenue. He also addresses the challenges of budgeting and resource management in local government, emphasizing the need for creativity and strategic thinking. Throughout the conversation, Dustin shares valuable advice for aspiring local government professionals, encouraging them to embrace their unique perspectives and take risks in their careers.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"From 9\/11 to Public Service (with Dustin Sternbeck) | Ground Floor Government Ep. 105 From 9\/11 to Public Service (with Dustin Sternbeck) | Ep. 105","og_description":"Host Hugh Plappert interviews Dustin Sternbeck, the Chief Communication Officer of Denton, Texas. Dustin shares his unique journey into public service, driven by the events of 9\/11 and his desire to make a positive impact in his community. He discusses the essential skills needed for success in local government, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication. Dustin highlights the importance of community projects, such as the 31 Days of Denton Halloween, which significantly boosted local tourism and revenue. He also addresses the challenges of budgeting and resource management in local government, emphasizing the need for creativity and strategic thinking. Throughout the conversation, Dustin shares valuable advice for aspiring local government professionals, encouraging them to embrace their unique perspectives and take risks in their careers.","og_url":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/","og_site_name":"PhoneLive Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PhoneLive.io","article_published_time":"2026-08-14T21:14:28+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-14T21:14:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/PL_Site.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Hugh Plappert","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"From 9\/11 to Public Service (with Dustin Sternbeck) | Ground Floor Government Ep. 105","twitter_creator":"@PhoneLive_io","twitter_site":"@PhoneLive_io","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Hugh Plappert","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/"},"author":{"name":"Hugh Plappert","@id":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f45f58a0a738f6be4e4ef0519f99d117"},"headline":"From 9\/11 to Public Service (with Dustin Sternbeck) | Ground Floor Government Ep. 105","datePublished":"2026-08-14T21:14:28+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-14T21:14:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/"},"wordCount":269,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#organization"},"keywords":["Podcast"],"articleSection":["Technologies"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/","url":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/","name":"From 9\/11 to Public Service (with Dustin Sternbeck) | Ground Floor Government Ep. 105 | PhoneLive Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-08-14T21:14:28+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-14T21:14:30+00:00","description":"Host Hugh Plappert interviews Dustin Sternbeck, the Chief Communication Officer of Denton, Texas. Dustin shares his unique journey into public service, driven by the events of 9\/11 and his desire to make a positive impact in his community. He discusses the essential skills needed for success in local government, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication. Dustin highlights the importance of community projects, such as the 31 Days of Denton Halloween, which significantly boosted local tourism and revenue. He also addresses the challenges of budgeting and resource management in local government, emphasizing the need for creativity and strategic thinking. Throughout the conversation, Dustin shares valuable advice for aspiring local government professionals, encouraging them to embrace their unique perspectives and take risks in their careers.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/gfg_ep105\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"From 9\/11 to Public Service (with Dustin Sternbeck) | Ground Floor Government Ep. 105"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/","name":"PhoneLive.io Church Tech Blog","description":"Turn your live stream into a phone call. Phone streaming for churches and local governments \u2014 reach seniors and offline members, no internet needed.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#organization"},"alternateName":"PL - Church Tech Blog","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#organization","name":"PhoneLive.io","alternateName":"PL","url":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/New-Logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/New-Logo.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080,"caption":"PhoneLive.io"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PhoneLive.io","https:\/\/x.com\/PhoneLive_io","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/phonelive","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@PhoneLive"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f45f58a0a738f6be4e4ef0519f99d117","name":"Hugh Plappert","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/32555a63035a9b779ebc61330c883b660034bf089be5a5d0cac05919ea27b117?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/32555a63035a9b779ebc61330c883b660034bf089be5a5d0cac05919ea27b117?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Hugh Plappert"},"description":"Hugh Plappert co-founded PhoneLive with his son David, building the phone-streaming platform now used by 1,200+ churches and local governments to reach members and residents who cannot get online. Drawing on 41 years in ministry and operations, Hugh leads PhoneLive's operations and customer success, keeping the technology simple enough for any volunteer to run so homebound and offline members are never left behind. Based in Saint Paul, Minnesota.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/plappert\/"],"jobTitle":"Co-founder & Chief Officer, PhoneLive"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=513"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":514,"href":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513\/revisions\/514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phonelive.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}