The U.S. Department of Labor and Statistics consistently reports significant employee turnover in the public sector, including the federal, state, and local levels. High turnover results in compromised public goods and services provided to a community. The widespread nature of the problem and the scarcity of literature focusing on employee retention strategies in the public sector merited this case study. Public sector leaders from Western New York who had implemented employee retention strategies in a public organization comprised the population for the study. Cost-benefit theory, human capital theory, and social capital theory provided the conceptual context for developing and executing the study. A total of 7 public sector leaders participated in semistructured interviews, which provided the primary source of data. Data were open coded, resulting in themes of employee development, engagement and empowerment, and positive work experience. The results contribute to social change by identifying practical business strategies that leaders may use to improve retention in their respective organizations. Maintaining a well-qualified, dedicated public workforce may lead to improved government goods and services on which communities rely
