When community members can access agendas, watch meetings live and search past decisions in one place, they stop asking what's being decided and start engaging with how. Explore practical ways to make transparency the natural output of how your board operates with our guide to livestreaming and transparency, the compliant livestreaming guide and the livestreaming made easy checklist.
When residents can watch meetings live, search past decisions and access the documents that matter, all from one place, transparency stops being a box to tick and starts being something your community actually experiences. From Livestream Manager broadcasting meetings live alongside the agenda with automated captions and timestamped recordings to giving residents a single searchable destination for agendas, minutes, policies and attachments, Diligent Community turns open governance into something your community can genuinely navigate and trust. See how it works here.
For Montgomery Community College in North Carolina, building board packets used to consume the equivalent of an entire week of staff time every month. Manual compilation, physical revisions for every meeting change and difficulty meeting public transparency compliance requirements made the process unsustainable. With Diligent Community, the college now posts information directly to its public-facing website, automates stakeholder communications and has freed up significant time for higher-value work.
"We estimated that approximately equivalent to one week out of a whole month was devoted to doing nothing but building board packets."
– Dr. Chad Bledsoe, President, Montgomery Community College
Download and read the full story here.
We’re excited to spotlight Gwen Martinez, Executive Secretary to the Superintendent and School Board at Lafourche Parish School District, as July’s Community Champion!
Gwen is an accomplished Executive Administrative Assistant providing high-level support to the Superintendent and the nine-member School Board in Lafourche Parish. Over her impressive 25-year tenure, she has been vital in supporting operations for a large district of over 13,000 students and nearly 30 schools. She has served the district in many areas, including 14 years of experience and dedication as a Middle School Secretary, Cheer and Dance Coach, Secretary to several District Supervisors, Executive Secretary to the School Board, and Executive Assistant to the Superintendent for the past 10 years.
Known for her professionalism, organizational commitment and unwavering support, Gwen is a natural helper. Her colleagues deeply value her as a kind, patient, and thoughtful teammate who is always ready to lend a hand and elevate those around her. Gwen shared with us:
“To me, good governance is the foundation of trust. It means creating an environment where decisions are made with absolute transparency, accountability, and ethical integrity. It’s about ensuring that the focus is not just on what is achieved, but how it is achieved — safeguarding the interests of all stakeholders through responsible stewardship.”
— Gwen Martinez, Executive Secretary to the Superintendent and School Board, Lafourche Parish School District
We’re so grateful to honor Gwen as this month’s Community Champion — congratulations on this well-deserved recognition! Would you like to nominate someone for our Diligent Community Champions? Nominate them here!
Get your K-12 board on the same page
If your board is stuck in day-to-day decisions, unclear on roles or struggling to measure progress, this on-demand webinar is for you. Governance experts from Sun Prairie Area School District share practical tools to align your board, sharpen accountability and build the kind of trust that drives real results — not just processes. Watch on demand here.
More Diligent Community webinars you can watch on demand:
Public sector boards have a direct responsibility to protect public funds and maintain community trust. Our guide to combating public sector fraud and waste covers the practical steps boards can take to strengthen oversight, close control gaps and demonstrate responsible stewardship of the resources entrusted to them.
Seasonal events aren't just for the calendar, they help foster community engagement, build trust, educate the community and raise morale. We've compiled a handy list of special events to make it easy to plan ahead and keep your board aligned with key moments throughout the year. Download your free 2026 calendar today to start planning.
Looking ahead: Women's Equality Day falls on 26 August — a one-day celebration that commemorates the unique perspectives of women serving in government and the community. Perhaps your board could consider setting up mentorship or internship opportunities for women or girls in the community this year.
Board self-assessment is one of the most effective and often overlooked tools for strengthening governance. In this episode of Leading with Purpose, governance experts Steve Schroeder, former school board member and governance leader and Barbara Paxton, Director of BoardStrong explore how mission-driven boards can turn self-evaluation from a box-ticking exercise into a catalyst for continuous improvement.
Together, they discuss why many boards struggle with self-assessment, the key areas boards should evaluate and practical ways to gather honest feedback, build trust and turn insights into meaningful action. They also share how regular self-evaluation can strengthen board engagement, accountability and mission impact. Listen here.
Find links to all our episodes here (and wherever you find your podcasts) and thanks for taking the time to rate the podcast!
Our pick of the newest and most popular items on our blog this month:
8 top features on Diligent Community designed to boost community transparency
Fraud risk is enterprise risk: 5 critical ways fraud puts public organizations at risk
What are the legal requirements for school board meeting minutes?
We love to hear what leaders think about issues and key topics that affect mission-driven organizations. Please take a moment to fill out our latest quick survey on the topic of managing risk for the chance to win a $50 gift card! Take the survey here.
