Diane Kalen-Sukra Named a Top Thinker in Local Government by UK Think Tank

Kalen Academy Founder Recognized for Catalyzing a Movement to Renew Civility

Kalen Academy is delighted to share that our founder, Diane Kalen‑Sukra has been named a Top Thinkers in Local Government for 2026 by the United Kingdom's Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) in recognition of her “groundbreaking research and expertise on civic culture transformation which has catalysed a movement to renew civility and trust in public life.”

LGiU is an independent, non‑partisan organisation that has, for more than 40 years, championed local democracy and supported councils, practitioners and researchers across the UK, Ireland, Australia and beyond with ideas, resources and connections. It is the country's leading local government policy and practice institute (LGiU.org). To be recognised by a body so deeply embedded in the everyday work and challenges of local government underscores both the seriousness and the practicality of the work that Diane and the Kalen Academy community have been advancing.

Reflecting on the announcement, Kalen-Sukra said: “It is a profound honour and a quiet encouragement that the long work of renewing civic culture, civility and trust in public life is both needed and, in small ways, already underway.”

LGIU’s profile highlights Diane Kalen-Sukra’s diagnosis of toxic civic environments and her development of a practical roadmap to renewing civic culture, now used by municipal leaders across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and beyond. It also points to her bestselling book Save Your City: How Toxic Culture Kills Community & What to Do About It, her forthcoming Lead with Civility: A Handbook for Uncivil Times, and Kalen Academy’s inaugural Global Civility Summit, which convenes hundreds of civic leaders to share tools, research and best practices for leading through uncivil times.

As a learning community devoted to cultivating wise, ethical and resilient local leadership, Kalen Academy sees this honour as an affirmation of the thousands of public servants and civic leaders who have engaged with our teaching, writing and civic‑culture frameworks over the past decade. Together, they are demonstrating that it is possible to confront toxicity without becoming toxic, and to lead with courage, compassion and civility in some of the most challenging public environments of our time.

---

Join the Movement for Civility

If you would like to be part of this growing civility movement, a practical place to start is by joining the upcoming Global Civility Summit in April 2026 on the theme "Leading Through Uncivil Times".

In just three hours, you will hear from leading practitioners and renown thinkers, ask your question(s), gain tools you can use immediately in your organisation, and generate your personalized roadmap to renewing civic culture.

➡️Seats are limited and 25% sold out. Register today: KalenAcademy.com/civilitysummit

Together we can turn the cultural tide! Join us.