That's So Auburn!

About That's So Auburn!

Join Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus as she discusses all things Auburn! She will help you get to know the best place in South King County and she hopes you'll listen in with open hearts and open minds and when you hear "That's so Auburn!" it fills you with pride for our city.

Publisher

City of Auburn

Category

government · news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Jan 2022

Latest episode

31 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

34 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   31 Jul 2026

   Next Step Auburn? Meet Our Summer Interns!

   Hello and welcome to That's So Auburn! I'm Nancy Backus, Mayor of the City of Auburn. One of the things I love most about local government is just how many different ways there are to serve a community. You can help support local businesses, connect residents with important services, design parks, maintain streets, plan for Auburn's future and that barely scratches the surface. This summer, like the ones before it, more than a dozen interns have been discovering that firsthand through Next Step Auburn. Our interns are working in departments across the City, learning from our employees and contributing to real projects that matter to our community. They've brought energy and some great new perspectives to City Hall and beyond, and we are very happy to have them here. I recently had the chance to spend some time with the group and answer their questions about my own path into public service, what it's like to serve as mayor and some of the experiences this work has given me over the years. But today, I get to turn the questions around and hear more about their experiences, with two interns – and their manager – in particular. Joining me are Jillian Orm, who is working with our Economic Development team, and Narina Pogosian, who is working with Human Services. We are also joined by Human Resources Manager Melissa Medisch, who has helped guide Next Step Auburn and support our interns and departments throughout the summer. The program will continue through late August, so this is a perfect time to talk about what Jillian and Narina have worked on, what they've learned and what they hope to accomplish before the summer wraps up!

2. 

   15 Jul 2026

   The stage is set: Auburn's theater program, BRAVO and the future Auburn Avenue Theater

   Hello and welcome to That's So Auburn! I'm Nancy Backus, Mayor of the City of Auburn, and today's episode is all about the middle part of our official Parks department's name – I'm talking of course about the arts! Live theater, community performances and the future of one of Auburn's most beloved downtown gathering places. Today I'm joined by two people who help make so much of that work happen: Allison Hyde, the City of Auburn's Arts Supervisor, and Jim Kleinbeck, our Theater Program Coordinator. Allison helps lead the City's arts programming, from public art and gallery exhibitions to events, performances and opportunities that connect residents with creativity throughout Auburn. And Jim works closely with our theater programs, performers, directors, volunteers and audiences to help bring live productions to life. Not to mention the summer camps with Auburn's youngest thespians. And of course, this is such a fun time to have this conversation, because there is a lot happening. BRAVO is currently preparing for Auburn Community Jr. Players' production of Disney's Newsies Jr., with performances coming up Friday, July 24 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, July 25 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, July 26 at 2 p.m. at Auburn Riverside Theater. We're also looking ahead to the new Auburn Avenue Theater project downtown. For so many years, the Auburn Avenue Theater was a place where people laughed, listened, watched films, performed, gathered and made memories. After the original theater was damaged and ultimately came down, we've been busy working and building toward something very meaningful: a new theater that honors that history while giving Auburn a modern performing arts space for the future. This project is about more than just a building, of course. It's about downtown, about local artists, about families, about young performers getting their first chance on stage, and about creating a place where our community can come together again. And it should be opening sometime next year! Listen to the full episode and consider liking and subscribing!

3. 

   16 Jun 2026

   A new layer of government relations, policy advising at the City of Auburn

   Hello and welcome to That's So Auburn! I'm Nancy Backus, Mayor of the City of Auburn, and today's episode is about government relations, which, I know, may sound like a very official title. But really, it's about relationships and advocacy, problem-solving, and making sure Auburn's voice is heard in the rooms where decisions are being made. Today I'm joined by Megan Utemei, the City of Auburn's Government Relations Policy Advisor. Megan works closely with me, our City Council, city leadership, regional partners, state legislators, federal offices and community organizations to help advance Auburn's priorities. Megan began at the City just over two months ago and she stepped into a brand new role at our city. And it couldn't have come at a better time, because the work she does matters. Whether we're talking about transportation, public safety, housing, infrastructure, economic development, or funding for major city projects, Megan's role is to help connect Auburn's needs with the people and resources that can help move them forward. Megan brings 10 years of experience working on federal and regional issues. A major part of her career was spent working with U.S. Senator Patty Murray's office in both Washington, D.C. and Seattle, where she helped secure federal funding and support for local elected officials, community-based organizations and stakeholders across King County. She has also worked on immigration issues as a congressional liaison to the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security. Megan earned her Executive Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington, focusing on policy implementation at the federal, state and local levels through leadership. And outside of work, Megan was born and raised on the islands of Guam and Palau, and enjoys karaoke, reading, and spending quality time with her friends and family.

Who has been a guest on That's So Auburn!

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Kristy Pachciarz
• Amanda Valdez
• Dr Suzanne Johnson

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

65

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

Contact That's So Auburn!

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.