About Me
Beginnings in Municipal Government in Wisconsin!
I worked as a Clerk, Treasurer and Administrator (or combination of them) for 17 years in Wisconsin. I'm a Past President of the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association (WMCA); my wife Dr. Julie Astrella, and our dog Thumper moved to Las Vegas in September of 2021 to start a new adventure and explore the desert Southwest after 40 long Wisconsin Winters.
In Spring of 2023, the Government Guru was unofficially born. While working in the government technology industry, I began speaking at municipal conferences across North America...and after expanding my reach, decided to go "all in" as the Government Guru starting the business in August of 2025.
I'm a recognized Subject Matter Expert (SME) in digital government, cybersecurity, and modernizing municipal operations by incorporating AI tools.
In addition to my duties as President of Government Guru, I'm an Adjunct Professor of Public Administration at my Alma Mater, the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and Rochester Christian University in Michigan.
Meet Chris Astrella, MPA, B.S., WCPC
President and CEO, college professor, international speaker, local government superhero, subject matter expert, legendary municipal Clerk, municipal consultant, expert minute taker, successful grant writer and Las Vegas Local!
What Drives Me to do this work?
A Past President and Clerk at Heart
I've held a bunch of roles in local government, but my most important was the one I was elected to. I was elected as WMCA's 37th President and it may have been the greatest year of my professional life. It was my job to be the voice of the Association, advocate on behalf of the membership, and represent Clerks across Wisconsin.
2 weeks before I moved to Las Vegas, I attended my final WMCA Conference as an active member, and was surprised (stunned really!) to be proclaimed a Clerk at Heart. I will be a Wisconsin Clerk for the rest of my life and I couldn't be more proud.
This group of people, and Clerks all over the world are what drive me to do the work I do. I'm an educator, I'm a mentor, but I'm a Clerk (forever!) and I want to make sure municipal employees across the world are set up for success. Every day I'm striving to make my forever colleagues successful in their roles, proud of me and continuing to represent them (Clerks, Treasurers and Administrators) in the best way possible...just like when I was President.
My Past President Plaque, proudly on display in my office since 2017 and given to me by Past President Barb Goeckner.
