EdGov Summit 2025 Recap: Advancing Public Sector Workplace Culture

Written by CultureCon Co-founders, Nick Lombardino and Zach Blumenfeld

Returning to Madison for its second year, EdGov Summit 2025 brought together an inspiring community of public sector professionals from across the country — from campus leaders to government changemakers — all focused on one thing: strengthening the human side of work.

This year’s theme? Connection, care, and capability in a time when burnout, detachment, and workforce transitions remain some of the biggest challenges facing higher ed and government organizations.

With dynamic speakers, actionable tools and thoughtful conversations, this one-day summit offered attendees space to learn, reflect and strategize. Below are four big ideas that emerged from this year’s sessions:

1. Psychological Safety Isn’t a Buzzword — It’s a Team Advantage

Professor Lyn van Swol (UW-Madison) broke down what truly makes some teams thrive while others stall: psychological safety. Teams perform better when members feel safe enough to share candidly, take risks and challenge ideas without fear of embarrassment or retaliation.

Professor van Swol walked attendees through case studies and strategies that build open communication and trust — including the power of asking “vulnerable questions.” The takeaway? When psychological safety becomes a norm, collaboration becomes a force multiplier.

2. Reversing the “Great Detachment” Starts with Balance

Co-presenters Vikram Jadhav (LACERS) and Sara Loncka (Experience Institute) tackled one of today’s most pressing challenges in the public sector: The Great Detachment — a growing sense of disengagement that’s quietly eroding productivity, innovation, and organizational cohesion.

Drawing on a real-world case study from LACERS, the duo outlined a powerful two-pronged strategy to reverse this trend:

Reset expectations to align staff priorities with executive vision
Upskill and support employees to ensure they’re growing alongside organizational needs

Their session emphasized the importance of blending structure with support — combining an “organizationalist” approach to goal setting with a “humanist” approach to employee development. This mindset shift, they argued, creates the conditions for people to not just show up, but to show up engaged, connected and committed.

3. Big Burnout, Small Interventions: The Science Behind Well-being

Dr. Bryan Sexton (Duke University) delivered one of the most uplifting sessions of the day — backed by rigorous science. His message? We can undo years of burnout faster than we think.

Bryan walked through clinical evidence showing how “bite-sized” well-being interventions can reverse emotional exhaustion in as little as 10 days. From free tools to easily implemented strategies, he empowered attendees to lead culture change from a place of energy and empathy.

As one attendee put it: “I didn’t realize how much I needed this session until I sat through it.”

4. Mentorship Is a Culture Strategy

Ayiesha Domino-Brown (WI Department of Children & Families) reminded us that mentorship is more than a nice-to-have — it’s a strategic lever for talent development and retention in public service.

Her “mentor mindset” framework empowers leaders to invest in others’ growth through relevant projects, networking opportunities, and access to influence. When employees feel valued, engaged, and connected, they stay longer, perform better, and carry the culture forward.

5. From Insight to Impact: Turning Reflection Into Action

To close the day, Michelle Spehr (Vidl Work) led a thoughtful, energizing session designed to help attendees synthesize their learnings and leave with a clear sense of direction.

Through small-group reflection and collective conversation, Michelle created space for attendees to name what resonated, share ideas across roles and sectors, and turn insight into intention.

Her closing message was clear: culture change doesn’t happen in a vacuum — it happens through intentional follow-through. By reflecting together, attendees left not only with takeaways, but with a renewed sense of purpose and possibility.

Public Sector Workplace Culture: Final Reflection

At a time when public sector organizations are being asked to do more with less — while keeping their people inspired and supported — the conversations at EdGov Summit 2025 felt timely and urgent.

From psychological safety to mentorship, bite-sized well-being to re-engagement strategies, this year’s sessions offered practical insights that attendees can take back to their teams and implement immediately.

We believe public sector workplace culture change is possible, and it starts with leaders like those who showed up this year.

About CultureCon®:

CultureCon®, a Certified B Corporation®, is on a mission to inspire positive change around organizational culture. Through large conferences, online courses, consulting services, and certification programs, we deliver experiences that provide practical tools and motivation for our customers to become cultural change agents within their organizations. Our customers include business owners, CxOs, HR leaders, senior management, individual contributors, and anyone who wants to build more uplifting, inspiring, and healthy workplaces.

Learn more about our upcoming events.