Community Builders – A Chico Podcast
Community Builders - A Chico Podcast
Podcast Description
Community Builders, is a podcast dedicated to celebrating and spotlighting the individuals who make a positive impact in Chico, California and the surrounding North State region. Each episode dives deep into the journeys, insights, and efforts of local leaders, activists, and changemakers who are shaping this community through dedication and innovation. With thoughtful conversations and inspiring stories, Community Builders offers listeners a closer look at the people behind impactful projects.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on community leadership, social initiatives, and local governance, with episodes showcasing the efforts of individuals like Amber Abney-Bass in supporting the unhoused, Tami Ritter in shaping public policy, and Tom van Overbeek in urban development, emphasizing their innovative strategies and personal motivations.

Community Builders, is a podcast dedicated to celebrating and spotlighting the individuals who make a positive impact in Chico, California and the surrounding North State region.
Each episode dives deep into the journeys, insights, and efforts of local leaders, activists, and changemakers who are shaping this community through dedication and innovation.
With thoughtful conversations and inspiring stories, Community Builders offers listeners a closer look at the people behind impactful projects.
In this episode of Community Builders, we sit down with Gillian Hayne, Chico’s new City Manager, for a conversation about local government, thoughtful growth, and what it takes to help a community move forward.
Gillian shares the path that brought her from land-use planning to city leadership, the experiences that shaped her approach to problem-solving, and why returning to Chico feels so personal. With deep family ties to the area, she speaks about the small-town character, connection, and opportunity that make Chico special.
We discuss some of the community’s biggest priorities, including housing, economic development, infrastructure, public safety, and compassionate solutions for our unhoused neighbors. Gillian also shares her hope for a more accessible, transparent city government where residents feel informed, heard, and empowered to get involved.
Throughout the conversation, Gillian reflects on collaboration, finding common ground, and the belief that lasting change happens when a community works together.
This episode is an honest and hopeful look at the future of Chico and the leadership helping guide it.
Follow us on Instagram: @community.builders.chico
EPISODE CREDITS:
Hosted by Dorian Cohen
Produced by Metric Studios
Edited by Michael Bone and Seth Ryan Trachtman
Audio mixed by Michael Bone
Artwork designed by Dorian Cohen
Segment jingles licensed through Music Bed
Be sure to follow Community Builders on YouTube and Instagram!

Disclaimer
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