Videos & Resources
Courageous Civility (2025 virtual keynote)
Discussing her book "Save Your City"
Latest Books:
Save Your City
Toxic culture is eroding our sense of belonging, community and well-being. Our capacity to collaborate and innovate together is also being undermined by the rising incivility and divisiveness.
We need each other to address the complex challenges facing our cities and communities -- from the infrastructure deficit to climate change, homelessness, mental health and addiction issues. In order to thrive, our local democracies depend on our ability to revive the art of living and working well together.
In this thought-provoking and inspiring book, Diane Kalen-Sukra empowers community leaders and citizens to be part of the solution. She demonstrates what's involved by taking readers on a journey from Bullyville to Sustainaville, including an eye-opening visit to classical antiquity.
The successful journey includes a renaissance of civic values and civic education as vital to fostering the type of culture that can sustain us, our democracy and our planet.
Recent Published Articles:
Citizens, Your Local Government Needs You!
Diane Kalen-Sukra
Top Speaker for Canadian Municipalities;
Best-selling Author "Save Your City"
Civic and municipality speaker Diane Kalen-Sukra is a civic trailblazer with a distinguished career spanning over 30 years. Championing ethical leadership and raising awareness of the urgent need for civic culture renewal, she has been a driving force in advancing the global civility movement.
As a former municipal Chief Administrative Officer recognized for leading award-winning initiatives and serving as a trusted advisor to civic leaders, Diane has made her mark in the field.
Her best-selling book, Save Your City: How Toxic Culture Kills Community and What to Do About It, along with Civic Resilience, advocates for a renaissance of civic values and civic education as vital to fostering thriving and sustainable communities. Diane’s work serves as a powerful call to action, making her a highly sought-after keynote speaker known for delivering both wisdom and practical insights to address the challenges facing modern cities.
For the past six years, Diane has been on a civility tour, engaging with leaders worldwide to promote respect in the public square. She recently hosted the 2024 Global Civility Summit, gathering 500 civic leaders to tackle toxicity and renew civic culture.
As the founder of Kalen Academy, an online civic leadership institute, Diane empowers the next generation of leaders. A prolific writer and media commentator, she regularly contributes to prestigious publications.
Diane also hosts the Cultivating Civility podcast and curates the Civic Wisdom newsletter. An educator and certified culture transformation consultant, she holds certifications in Emotional Intelligence (EQ-i 2.0) and Compassionate Integrity & Ethics. Diane is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Trinity College and holds a Master’s degree in political science from York University.
- Most Requested Speakers
- Politics & Current Events
- Urbanism | Cities
2025 Signature & Most Requested Presentation:
The Future of Municipalities
Local Choices Today That Shape Communities Tomorrow
In this signature keynote, Diane Kalen-Sukra explores the future of municipalities in an age of upheaval and rapid change. As global forces reshape economies, technology outpaces trust, and democracy is no longer a given, local governments—as always on the front line of civic life—now bear even greater responsibility to protect the public good, foster well-being, and build resilience. Drawing on enduring civic wisdom and responding to modern challenges from AI to inequality, this keynote charts a hopeful path for leaders determined to transform uncertainty into renewed civic purpose and shared flourishing.
Additional & Popular Conference Keynotes:
The Civility Imperative
What It Takes to Lead in Uncivil Times
Across our workplaces and communities, leaders are being tested by rising incivility, burnout, and a breakdown of public trust. In this powerful keynote, Diane Kalen-Sukra—civility expert, former city manager, and author of Save Your City—makes the urgent case that civility is not weakness, but the force that enables ethical action, principled dissent, and social cohesion when it matters most. Drawing from her global civility tour and decades of civic leadership, she offers a timely roadmap for restoring trust, bridging divides, and reviving the art of living and working well together—in the very moments it feels most out of reach.
Culture Risk
Why Toxic Culture Is the Greatest Threat—And What We Can Do About It
Toxic culture doesn’t just damage morale—it destabilizes communities, weakens institutions, and undermines the trust that allows us to work and live well together. Whether in city halls, workplaces, nonprofits, or neighborhoods, culture risk is now one of the most overlooked but consequential threats to local governance, as well as personal and community well-being. In this urgent and hope-filled keynote, Diane Kalen-Sukra challenges civic, business, and community leaders—as well as engaged citizens—to move beyond coping strategies and become intentional culture-shapers. Drawing from her civic leadership experience, bestselling book Save Your City, global civility tour, and real-world examples, Diane offers a compelling call to action and practical tools to transform civic culture from the inside out.
Ancient Wisdom for Modern Leaders
Navigating Crisis with Timeless Principles
In this illuminating keynote, Diane Kalen-Sukra draws from the civic wisdom of some of history’s greatest thinkers—from Socrates to the Stoics, Confucius, and more—to equip today’s leaders for the challenges of our time. In an age of rising incivility, distrust, and fractured communities, these timeless lessons offer clarity and a grounded path forward—rooted in ethical leadership, civic virtue, and the art of working well together. Whether in workplaces, neighborhoods, or governments, this talk offers enduring strategies to restore trust, build resilience, and strengthen the fabric of civic life.
Diane Kalen-Sukra’s profound and impactful keynote—Anchors of Civility: The Leadership Legacy of Municipal Clerks—struck a deep chord. Her exploration of the historical role of the municipal clerk in upholding democracy and good governance was both timely and illuminating. Diane demonstrated that while history echoes familiar challenges, the imperative to anchor public service in truth, respect and civility is more urgent than ever. Her message continues to resonate with our members and attendees long after the conference. I highly recommend Diane Kalen-Sukra to any event confronting today’s erosion of civility in public life.
–Alberta Municipal Clerks Association
Diane Kalen-Sukra’s profound and impactful keynote—Anchors of Civility: The Leadership Legacy of Municipal Clerks—struck a deep chord. Her exploration of the historical role of the municipal clerk in upholding democracy and good governance was both timely and illuminating. Diane demonstrated that while history echoes familiar challenges, the imperative to anchor public service in truth, respect and civility is more urgent than ever. Her message continues to resonate with our members and attendees long after the conference. I highly recommend Diane Kalen-Sukra to any event confronting today’s erosion of civility in public life.
–Alberta Municipal Clerks Association
People respond—and are changed—when they are encouraged. Diane was born with the gift of encouragement and talent to help others to thrive. I particularly like the way she uses historical figures like Nehemiah to guide us through a roadmap to Civility while broadening our vision to work towards social cohesion in these troubled times.
–Town of Qualicum Beach, BC