The Local Government Summer Institute at Stanford (LGSI) is a unique leadership program for local government professionals in California and the Western United States. It features sessions with Stanford faculty members and researchers, startups from Silicon Valley and local government experts.  The curriculum is developed by the Stanford LGSI Team with input from the LGSI Advisory Board.  

LGSI graduates say: 

  • “LGSI was like a week-long bootcamp for my brain — packed with ideas and great people”
  • “I came for the training, stayed for the conversations, and left with a to‑do list I’m excited about”
  • “LGSI challenged me to think bigger, connect deeper, and lead with intention”
  • “It’s the program that played a key role in my career and leadership journey”
  • LGSI “Was Not What I Expected”

Past LGSI sessions have included exploration of topics including Local Government: Innovation, Disruption & the Clean Economy, Emerging Challenges for Local Government Executives, Assessing and Quantifying Wildfire Risk and Mitigation, Water In The West: Policy Challenges and Technology Solutions, New Tools and Approaches to Public Finance, The Will To Lead, Lithium Valley, Civic Engagement: New Approaches, Technologies & Strategies, Ethics In The Trenches and many more. 

LGSI includes a Coaching Component where attendees are matched with seasoned local government professionals for two coaching discussions. Past coaches have included current and recently retired city managers, assistant city managers and department heads and county executives and department leaders. The two coaching discussions, which are scheduled by the attendee and the assigned coach occur before and after LGSI, could focus on career development, challenging work issues or other topics chosen by the attendee.

Applications for the 2026 LGSI program are open and reviewed monthly on a rolling basis until the program reaches capacity. Click on the image below to view the brochure. 

Local Government Professionals who register by November 21 can receive an Early Bird Discounted Tuition of $8,000.  After that date, the program tuition will be $8,500. 

Program Dates 

The 2026 LGSI program will be held in-person on the Stanford University campus from Sunday, July 19, 2026 thru Friday, July 24, 2026. An optional LGSI Alumni event is scheduled for Saturday, July 25, 2026. 

Program Website: https://west.stanford.edu/research/western-governance-and-policy/regional-engagement/california-global-energy-water-and/local

Application Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0/d/1qxIgbnRLz9EKeHtxfAcZxma5SjU7XvVO6qA1S05V7xQ/viewform?edit_requested=true