Explore every episode of the podcast The HaltingWinter Podcast

Episode 239 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity

What happens when the unimaginable strikes your community?

For Ghida Neukirch, City Manager of Highland Park, Illinois, that question became reality on July 4, 2022, when a mass shooting shattered the city’s annual parade.

In this conversation, Ghida shares her personal journey, from fleeing civil war in Lebanon as a child to becoming a respected city manager, and the lessons she’s learned about resilience, leadership, and recovery in the face of tragedy.

Listeners will hear:

• The pipeline problem: how a college project sparked her career in local government.

• Breaking silos: why culture and collaboration matter more than org charts.

• Networks that save you: the value of professional associations when “it’s lonely at the top.”

• Preparedness in practice: how Highland Park’s training and mutual aid agreements shaped the response that day.

• The human side of leadership: carrying both professional responsibility and personal grief.

This episode is both a case study in crisis leadership and a reminder of the unseen burdens city managers carry.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ghida-neukirch

Tyler Technologies
We’re also proud to be sponsored by Tyler Technologies, the largest software company in the nation dedicated exclusively to the public sector. From financial management and utility billing to citizen engagement and digital government solutions, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently, transparently, and effectively.

Learn more at Tyler Technologies

Zencity
This episode is made possible by Zencity, a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments worldwide. Zencity helps leaders cut through the noise of the “same ten people” by gathering real-time resident feedback across every neighborhood and demographic. With Zencity’s AI-powered tools, decisions can be made with clarity and confidence.

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs like the Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDC). 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

2026 Illinois City/County Management Association Winter Conference
February 11-13 | Normal, IL
Details at ILCMA

2026 Wisconsin City/County Management Association Winter Conference
February 25-27 | Oshkosh, WI
Details at WCMA

Episode 238 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity

City management isn’t just budgets, ordinances, and long-range planning. It’s navigating crises, absorbing public pressure, and making decisions that can end careers overnight.

In this episode, Lori Curtis Luther, City Manager of Overland Park, Kansas, pulls back the curtain on what the job really looks like when the spotlight turns harsh. From removing police chiefs in the middle of a leadership crisis, to managing a divided community during COVID, to handling union fights and a governing body of 13 elected officials, her career is a study in resilience, influence, and survival.

We cover:

• Why straight shooting, even when unpopular, is the only way to build long-term trust.

• The public backlash and hate mail that came with COVID decisions.

• How to manage power struggles and union negotiations without losing credibility.

• Why leading with authenticity beats trying to emulate others.

• The recruiting truth: “No private industry can compete with our purpose. We build community.”

Lori’s journey reminds every city leader that the job isn’t clean...it’s messy, political, and high-stakes. But it’s also deeply meaningful when you learn to stand firm in the firestorms.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lori-c

Zencity
This episode is made possible by Zencity, a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments worldwide. Zencity helps leaders cut through the noise of the “same ten people” by gathering real-time resident feedback across every neighborhood and demographic. With Zencity’s AI-powered tools, decisions can be made with clarity and confidence.

Learn more at Zencity.io

Tyler Technologies
We’re also proud to be sponsored by Tyler Technologies, the largest software company in the nation dedicated exclusively to the public sector. From financial management and utility billing to citizen engagement and digital government solutions, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently, transparently, and effectively.

Learn more at Tyler Technologies

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs like the Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDC). 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

2026 Illinois City/County Management Association Winter Conference
February 11-13 | Normal, IL
Details at ILCMA

2026 Wisconsin City/County Management Association Winter Conference
February 25-27 | Oshkosh, WI
Details at WCMA

Show Notes: Book of the Week – The 8 Dimensions of Leadership
Episode 237 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Episode Overview

This week in the Municipal Leadership Development Community, we're exploring "The 8 Dimensions of Leadership" by Jeffrey Sugerman, Mark Scullard, and Emma Wilhelm. Discover why your biggest leadership challenges come from people who think completely differently than you and what you can do about it.

Join the MLDC for the Complete 5-Part Series

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a network of local government leaders from across North America, including city/county managers, administrators, and department heads, giving you access to: 
     ✔ A weekly podcast series breaking down one book for municipal applications
     ✔ Daily blog reflections and implementation tools
     ✔ Our live, weekly, virtual mastermind session
     ✔ Monthly webinars with relavant training from local gov leaders

➡ Learn more at www.HaltingWinter.com

Resources Mentioned

• Book: The 8 Dimensions of Leadership by Jeffrey Sugermen, et. al
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Episode 236 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity

What does it take to lead a city for decades, and how do you know when it’s time to step away?

In this episode, I sit down with Lee Feldman, past ICMA President and city manager in multiple Florida cities, to explore the highs, lows, and lessons from a 40-year career in local government. Lee’s journey—from a teenage “gopher” in a city manager’s office to the top seat in cities like North Miami, Palm Bay, Fort Lauderdale, and Gainesville—offers a rare window into the realities of municipal leadership.

We unpack:

• The jump from #2 to #1: Why being a city manager is lonelier, and why your words carry a different weight.

• Health and politics as turning points: How a heart attack and a hostile mayor taught Lee when it was time to move on.

• Culture through language: Why he stopped calling people “residents” and “employees,” and instead reframed them as neighbors and community builders.

• Small gestures with big impact: From hand-signed anniversary cards to “Lunch with Lee,” the little things that still matter to employees decades later.

• Navigating crises: Lessons from leading through the pandemic, where college students became “vectors” and a skate park filled with mulch made national news.

• Networks as lifelines: Why no city manager can thrive without professional associations and trusted peers.

Lee’s story is a masterclass in resilience, culture change, and knowing your limits. For every municipal leader, it’s both an encouragement and a challenge: you don’t have to stay forever, but while you’re in the seat, you can shape lives and communities in ways that last.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/leerfeldman

Zencity
This episode is made possible by Zencity, a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments worldwide. Zencity helps leaders cut through the noise of the “same ten people” by gathering real-time resident feedback across every neighborhood and demographic. With Zencity’s AI-powered tools, decisions can be made with clarity and confidence.

Learn more at Zencity.io

Tyler Technologies
We’re also proud to be sponsored by Tyler Technologies, the largest software company in the nation dedicated exclusively to the public sector. From financial management and utility billing to citizen engagement and digital government solutions, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently, transparently, and effectively.

Learn more at Tyler Technologies

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs like the Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDC). 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Episode 235 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity

What does it take to step into leadership when you don’t feel ready, and how do you grow into impact while navigating floods, growth, and public pressure?

In this episode, I sit down with Kiel Mangus, City Manager of Derby, Kansas, to explore his unexpected path into local government and the lessons learned along the way. From a one-day internship that turned into a career in public service to leading through explosive community growth and devastating natural disasters, Kiel’s story highlights both the challenges and the rewards of municipal leadership.

We talk about:

• Why imposter syndrome is part of every leader’s journey and how to move through it.

• What floods, wastewater plants, and rapid housing growth taught him about crisis management.

• The overlooked role of Public Works as true first responders.

• Why residents often misunderstand local government and how leaders can tell their story better.

• How COVID reshaped work, balance, and the expectations of city staff.

Whether you’re an aspiring leader or a seasoned city manager, this episode is a reminder that uncertainty isn’t a barrier to leadership; it’s the proving ground where leaders are forged.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kiel-mangus

Tyler Technologies
We’re also proud to be sponsored by Tyler Technologies, the largest software company in the nation dedicated exclusively to the public sector. From financial management and utility billing to citizen engagement and digital government solutions, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently, transparently, and effectively.

Learn more at Tyler Technologies

Zencity
This episode is made possible by Zencity, a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments worldwide. Zencity helps leaders cut through the noise of the “same ten people” by gathering real-time resident feedback across every neighborhood and demographic. With Zencity’s AI-powered tools, decisions can be made with clarity and confidence.

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs like the Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDC). 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Show Notes: Book of the Week – Leading with My Glass Half Full
Episode 234 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Episode Overview

Municipal leaders face relentless pressures: staff turnover, budget constraints, political tensions, rising community expectations, and constant media scrutiny. In this environment, optimism can feel like a luxury you can't afford. But what if optimism is actually the key to solving these exact problems?

In this episode, Seth explores insights from Peter Crichton's "Leading with My Glass Half Full" and reveals why optimistic leadership isn't just a nice personality trait, it's a strategic approach that transforms organizational culture and effectiveness.

Crichton spent over 40 years in local government, including nearly 20 years as Cumberland County Manager in Maine. His approach to maintaining hope and effectiveness despite real constraints offers a roadmap for municipal leaders who want to build resilient, high-performing organizations.

Join the MLDC for the Complete 5-Part Series

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a network of local government leaders from across North America, including city/county managers, administrators, and department heads, giving you access to: 
     ✔ A weekly podcast series breaking down one book for municipal applications
     ✔ Daily blog reflections and implementation tools
     ✔ Our live, weekly, virtual mastermind session
     ✔ Monthly webinars with relevant training from local gov leaders

➡ Learn more at www.HaltingWinter.com

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Leading with My Glass Half Full by Peter Crichton
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Episode 233 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity

In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Sean Grayson, City Manager of Nevada City, California. Sean’s path into municipal leadership didn’t begin in planning or finance; it began in a firehouse. After two decades in the fire service, rising to fire chief in Rialto, California, Sean found himself twice “voluntold” into the role of interim city administrator during critical moments of transition. Those unexpected assignments reshaped his career and ultimately brought him back to lead his hometown of Nevada City.

From fighting fires to managing cities, Sean shares the lessons he’s learned about crisis leadership, breaking down silos, and building trust with the community. His story is a reminder that leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about answering the call when your city needs you most.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sean-grayson

Tyler Technologies
We’re also proud to be sponsored by Tyler Technologies, the largest software company in the nation dedicated exclusively to the public sector. From financial management and utility billing to citizen engagement and digital government solutions, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently, transparently, and effectively.

Learn more at Tyler Technologies

Zencity
This episode is made possible by Zencity, a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments worldwide. Zencity helps leaders cut through the noise of the “same ten people” by gathering real-time resident feedback across every neighborhood and demographic. With Zencity’s AI-powered tools, decisions can be made with clarity and confidence.

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs like the Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDC). 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Episode 232 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Regan Bolli, a city manager whose journey from law school and private-sector practice to local government reshaped his entire view of leadership. What began as a difficult transition—from a world of bottom-line efficiency to one built on transparency and inclusion—turned into a career-defining shift that has changed how he leads people, builds culture, and drives impact in his community.

Regan shares the lessons learned in redefining success, putting people before performance, and creating a workplace culture where employees thrive both at work and at home. His story offers a clear challenge to every municipal leader: culture isn’t built on projects or efficiency—it’s built on people, integrity, and trust.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/regan-bolli

Tyler Technologies
We’re also proud to be sponsored by Tyler Technologies, the largest software company in the nation dedicated exclusively to the public sector. From financial management and utility billing to citizen engagement and digital government solutions, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently, transparently, and effectively.

Learn more at Tyler Technologies

Zencity
This episode is made possible by Zencity, a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments worldwide. Zencity helps leaders cut through the noise of the “same ten people” by gathering real-time resident feedback across every neighborhood and demographic. With Zencity’s AI-powered tools, decisions can be made with clarity and confidence.

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs like the Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDC). 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Show Notes: Book of the Week – The 6 Types of Working Genius
Episode 231 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Episode Overview

Have you ever wondered why some aspects of your leadership role energize you while others feel like pure drudgery? In this episode, Seth explores Patrick Lencioni's framework from The 6 Types of Working Genius that explains this universal leadership mystery. Discover why your energy patterns aren't random and how understanding them can transform your effectiveness.

Join the MLDC for the Complete 5-Part Series

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a network of local government leaders from across North America, including city/county managers, administrators, and department heads, giving you access to: 
     ✔ A weekly podcast series breaking down one book for municipal applications
     ✔ Daily blog reflections and implementation tools
     ✔ Our live, weekly, virtual mastermind session
     ✔ Monthly webinars with relavant training from local gov leaders

➡ Learn more at www.HaltingWinter.com

Resources Mentioned

• Book: The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Episode 230 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity

What does it look like to lead the city you grew up in and then hand it over to the next generation? In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with William “Buzzy” Newman, longtime city leader in Henderson, Kentucky. From growing up as the son of a six-term mayor, to navigating economic transformation and social unrest, to leading through the chaos of COVID, Buzzy’s story is one of legacy, resilience, and community-first leadership.

But the heart of this conversation isn’t just about service—it’s about succession. Buzzy shares how he mentored Dylan Ward from young engineer to city manager, and why he chose to step back into the assistant role to ensure a seamless transition. Along the way, he offers candid lessons on honesty in politics, balancing community loyalty with family life, and why mentoring the next generation may be the most important act of leadership.

LinkedIn: 

Tyler Technologies
We’re also proud to be sponsored by Tyler Technologies, the largest software company in the nation dedicated exclusively to the public sector. From financial management and utility billing to citizen engagement and digital government solutions, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently, transparently, and effectively.

Learn more at Tyler Technologies

Zencity
This episode is made possible by Zencity, a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments worldwide. Zencity helps leaders cut through the noise of the “same ten people” by gathering real-time resident feedback across every neighborhood and demographic. With Zencity’s AI-powered tools, decisions can be made with clarity and confidence.

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs like the Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDC). 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Episode 229 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity

In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Jason Monroe, City Manager of Frankfort, Kentucky. Jason’s journey is anything but ordinary, rising from a childhood of constant change to a career in firefighting and paramedicine, and now leading Kentucky’s capital city through political pressure and organizational challenges.

From the adrenaline of the firehouse to the complexity of City Hall, Jason shares how adaptability, resilience, and a willingness to “step up” have defined his career. His story reveals why leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about showing up when everything feels like chaos.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jason-monroe

Tyler Technologies
We’re also proud to be sponsored by Tyler Technologies, the largest software company in the nation dedicated exclusively to the public sector. From financial management and utility billing to citizen engagement and digital government solutions, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently, transparently, and effectively.

Learn more at Tyler Technologies

Zencity
This episode is made possible by Zencity, a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments worldwide. Zencity helps leaders cut through the noise of the “same ten people” by gathering real-time resident feedback across every neighborhood and demographic. With Zencity’s AI-powered tools, decisions can be made with clarity and confidence.

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs like the Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDC). 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Show Notes: Book of the Week – Strengths Based Leadership
Episode 228 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Episode Overview

In this introductory episode, Seth explores how local government's obsession with well-rounded leaders is actually undermining leadership effectiveness. Drawing from Tom Rath and Barry Conchie's research in "Strengths Based Leadership," Seth challenges the unspoken expectation that city managers, county administrators, and department heads should excel at everything from budget analysis to crisis communication.

Key topics include recognizing your natural leadership domain, stopping the cycle of weakness-focused development, and beginning to see team composition as the path to organizational effectiveness.

Join the MLDC for the Complete 5-Part Series

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a network of local government leaders from across North America, including city/county managers, administrators, and department heads, giving you access to: 
     ✔ A weekly podcast series breaking down one book for municipal applications
     ✔ Daily blog reflections and implementation tools
     ✔ Our live, weekly, virtual mastermind session
     ✔ Monthly webinars with relavant training from local gov leaders

➡ Learn more at www.HaltingWinter.com

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Strengths Based Leadership by Gallup
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Episode 227 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity

What’s it really like to manage a city where billionaires live behind gated estates, yet the city budget barely covers the basics? In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Doug Schulze, a city manager with over 30 years of experience across Minnesota, Washington, and California. From driving a Zamboni in Sandstone, MN, to balancing the books in Medina, WA (home to Gates and Bezos), Doug’s career reveals the realities, challenges, and hidden truths of municipal leadership.

This conversation dives into the misconceptions about “wealthy cities,” the pressures of leading through growth and crisis, and the weight of making bold decisions even when they cost you your job.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dougschulze/

Tyler Technologies
We’re also proud to be sponsored by Tyler Technologies, the largest software company in the nation dedicated exclusively to the public sector. From financial management and utility billing to citizen engagement and digital government solutions, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently, transparently, and effectively.

Learn more at Tyler Technologies

Zencity
This episode is made possible by Zencity, a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments worldwide. Zencity helps leaders cut through the noise of the “same ten people” by gathering real-time resident feedback across every neighborhood and demographic. With Zencity’s AI-powered tools, decisions can be made with clarity and confidence.

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs like the Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDC). 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Episode 226 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity

In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Andrew Hart, Town Manager of Carmel, Maine, whose career has spanned small towns, county government, and decades of leadership across crises and change.

Andrew’s story begins with early exposure to local government around his family’s dinner table, where residents came to pay taxes and talk community business. At just 24 years old, his career was baptized by fire when he uncovered embezzlement in his first town management role. From there, Andrew went on to lead the Town of Union for 15 years, serve as County Administrator for Knox County for another 16, and now guide Carmel with the humility of a leader willing to mow fields, fill potholes, and build regional collaborations.

This is a journey across cities, counties, and crises that highlights the resilience, creativity, and people-first mindset required of today’s municipal leaders.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-hart

Tyler Technologies
We’re also proud to be sponsored by Tyler Technologies, the largest software company in the nation dedicated exclusively to the public sector. From financial management and utility billing to citizen engagement and digital government solutions, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently, transparently, and effectively.

Learn more at Tyler Technologies

Zencity
This episode is made possible by Zencity, a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments worldwide. Zencity helps leaders cut through the noise of the “same ten people” by gathering real-time resident feedback across every neighborhood and demographic. With Zencity’s AI-powered tools, decisions can be made with clarity and confidence.

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs like the Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDC). 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Show Notes: Book of the Week – Surrounded by Idiots
Episode 225 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Episode Overview

Ever walked out of a meeting thinking an intelligent colleague completely missed your point? This week, the MLDC is exploring Thomas Erikson's fascinating book "Surrounded by Idiots" and discovering why communication breakdowns aren't about intelligence; they're about fundamentally different ways of processing information.

In this episode, Seth introduces the DISC personality model through Erikson's four-color system and reveals how local government leaders can transform their most frustrating interactions by learning to speak multiple "communication languages."

Join the MLDC for the Complete 5-Part Series

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a network of local government leaders from across North America, including city/county managers, administrators, and department heads, giving you access to: 
     ✔ A weekly podcast series breaking down one book for municipal applications
     ✔ Daily blog reflections and implementation tools
     ✔ Our live, weekly, virtual mastermind session
     ✔ Monthly webinars with relavant training from local gov leaders

➡ Learn more at www.HaltingWinter.com

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Episode 224 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity

In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Scott Andrews, County Manager of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, to explore a journey marked by ambition, resilience, and a deep commitment to authentic leadership.

From helping build a city center from scratch in Sugar Hill, Georgia, to navigating the complexities of COVID and social justice in Covington, and then leading in Bakersfield during cultural and political shifts, Scott’s career reflects the weight—and the promise—of public service.

But his story is also profoundly personal. After the devastating loss of his first daughter, Scott founded Lead With Love and The Violet Movement—frameworks rooted in emotional intelligence, humanity, and the belief that civility and authenticity are still the most powerful tools in leadership.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cscottandrews/

Tyler Technologies
This episode is made possible by Tyler Technologies, the largest software company in the nation dedicated exclusively to the public sector. From financial management and utility billing to citizen engagement and digital government solutions, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently, transparently, and effectively.

Learn more at TylerTech.com

Zencity
We’re also proud to be sponsored by Zencity, a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments worldwide. Zencity helps leaders cut through the noise of the “same ten people” by gathering real-time resident feedback across every neighborhood and demographic. With Zencity’s AI-powered tools, decisions can be made with clarity and confidence.

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs like the Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDC). 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Episode 223 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity and Tyler Technologies

In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Dylan Ward, City Manager of Henderson, Kentucky. Dylan’s path to leadership wasn’t planned; it was discovered. What began as a love of Legos, math, and problem-solving turned into a career that blended engineering precision with people-first leadership.

From inspecting sidewalks and asphalt crews to navigating multimillion-dollar projects and public-private partnerships, Dylan’s story is a window into the often-overlooked but deeply impactful world of local government. Along the way, his journey through personal trials—including his son’s life-threatening heart condition—shaped him into a leader marked not just by skill, but by resilience and empathy.

This conversation is packed with insight for anyone curious about the realities of local government, the surprises of public works, and the humility it takes to grow into leadership you never expected.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-h-ward

Zencity
This episode is made possible by Zencity, a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments worldwide. Zencity helps leaders cut through the noise of the “same ten people” by gathering real-time resident feedback across every neighborhood and demographic. With Zencity’s AI-powered tools, decisions can be made with clarity and confidence.

Learn more at Zencity.io

Tyler Technologies
We’re also proud to be sponsored by Tyler Technologies, the largest software company in the nation dedicated exclusively to the public sector. From financial management and utility billing to citizen engagement and digital government solutions, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently, transparently, and effectively.

Learn more at Tyler Technologies

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs like the Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDC). 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Show Notes: Book of the Week – How Will You Measure Your Life?
Episode 222 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Episode Overview

What does real success actually look like in public service? In this episode, Seth explores insights from Clayton Christensen's How Will You Measure Your Life? and why traditional success metrics often leave accomplished local government leaders feeling empty and disconnected from their deepest values.

Join the MLDC for the Complete 5-Part Series

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a network of local government leaders from across North America, including city/county managers, administrators, and department heads, giving you access to: 
     ✔ A weekly podcast series breaking down one book for municipal applications
     ✔ Daily blog reflections and implementation tools
     ✔ Our live, weekly, virtual mastermind session
     ✔ Monthly webinars with relavant training from local gov leaders

➡ Learn more at www.HaltingWinter.com

Resources Mentioned

• Book: How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton Christensen
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Episode 221 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity

In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Ryan Pelletier, a leader who has navigated nearly every seat in local government, from small-town manager to county administrator. With decades of experience serving rural communities, he offers a rare perspective on how to bridge the tension between cities and counties and turn competition into collaboration.

From wearing every hat in a one-person town office to leading a county with dozens of municipalities, his journey is packed with lessons on trust-building, shared services, and the practical realities of leadership at every level.

• Wearing Every Hat: Why starting in a tiny town office can be the best leadership training.

• Beyond Borders: Leading in a community where international lines are part of everyday life.

• Trust as Currency: How to earn buy-in from elected officials, department heads, and neighboring jurisdictions.

• Shared Solutions: Turning costly, fragmented systems into regional wins that save money and improve service.

• The Long Game: How to lead for lasting impact in a short-term political world.

Whether you’re managing a small department, running a city, or working at the county level, this episode offers practical strategies for building partnerships, navigating politics without partisanship, and finding common ground where it matters most—serving your community.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-pelletier

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is made possible by Zencity—a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments around the world.

Zencity is a software that enables local government leaders to gather, understand, and act on resident feedback, going beyond the "same ten people" to actually reach residents where they're at, and incorporate that feedback into decisions large and small. To learn more about how Zencity is helping turn data into action and insight into impact:

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Episode 220 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down for a conversation with a small-town mayor (Rick Tonini; St. Matthews, KY) whose path to leadership started with a neighbor’s call to serve — literally. As a kid, he was the go-to helper for the local mayor, unclogging storm drains, spreading cinders on icy streets, and pitching in wherever needed.

That spirit of service never left. From decades as a volunteer firefighter to more than 40 years as an elected official, his story is one of consistency, commitment, and community-first leadership. But it’s also a deeply personal story of resilience. After the sudden loss of his daughter, he turned grief into action — honoring her legacy through organ donation, volunteer work, and supporting others who have endured similar loss.

We talk about what it takes to preserve a small-town spirit in the shadow of a growing metro area, how to lead with fiscal responsibility without losing community connection, and why service, at its best, is about more than a job description.

This is a conversation about heart, endurance, and the kind of leadership that leaves a lasting impact long after the titles fade.

From Storm Drains to City Hall
How early hands-on experiences with a local mayor planted the seeds for a lifetime of public service.

A Volunteer Firefighter for Life
Why decades in the fire service shaped his perspective on responsiveness, readiness, and teamwork.

When Service Meets Tragedy
The story of losing his daughter, her life-saving organ donations, and finding purpose through grief.

Preserving Community in a Metro World
How to keep connection, culture, and care at the forefront in the midst of growth and change.

Fiscal Responsibility with Real Results
Balancing low taxes with high-impact services and why responsiveness builds public trust.

Turning Grief into Action
Serving at a soup kitchen every week for over 20 years and supporting other grieving parents through Compassionate Friends.

City of St. Matthews: Mayor Rick Tonini

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is made possible by Zencity—a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments around the world.

Zencity is a software that enables local government leaders to gather, understand, and act on resident feedback, going beyond the "same ten people" to actually reach residents where they're at, and incorporate that feedback into decisions large and small. To learn more about how Zencity is helping turn data into action and insight into impact:

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Show Notes: Book of the Week – Principles
Episode 219 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Principles Series)
Episode Title: When Principles Trump Politics

Episode Overview

You're sitting in a heated council meeting where three different factions are pushing completely different budget priorities. The mayor wants visible infrastructure projects for political reasons. Council members are demanding immediate tax relief. Another group insists on expanding social services. Meanwhile, your finance director is quietly pointing to long-term sustainability concerns that nobody wants to hear.

In this kickoff episode of the Principles series, Seth Winterhalter explores how fundamental decision-making frameworks can transform municipal leadership effectiveness. Drawing from Ray Dalio's insights in "Principles," we discover how having clear, tested principles—not political maneuvering or reactive responses—determines whether city managers can navigate complex challenges with consistency and confidence.

Whether you're dealing with competing stakeholder demands, crisis decision-making under pressure, or the exhausting cycle of inconsistent leadership responses, Dalio's framework offers a comprehensive solution. In this episode, we examine why the most effective municipal leaders develop clear principles before crises hit, enabling them to make better decisions regardless of external pressures or political dynamics.

Key Takeaways

• How principled decision-making creates "leadership predictability" that builds trust with staff, councils, and communities
• Why waiting for perfect political timing often creates the very problems municipal leaders are trying to avoid
• The difference between rigid rule-following and flexible frameworks that guide consistent thinking under pressure
• Dalio's approach to systematic decision-making and what it means for sustainable municipal leadership
• How to identify your core leadership principles and test them in real municipal challenges

This Week's Journey in the MLDC

• Monday: Understanding how principles provide clarity when emotions run high and consistency when circumstances change rapidly
• Tuesday–Thursday: Deep dives into radical transparency with your team, recognizing your leadership blind spots, and addressing difficult decisions quickly rather than waiting for perfect timing
• Friday: Virtual Book Club for live conversation and practical implementation

Join the MLDC: Summer Special

Now is the best time to join the MLDC, giving you access to: 
     ✔ All five episodes breaking down one book per week for municipal applications
     ✔ Daily blog reflections and implementation tools
     ✔ A community of local government leaders from across North America
     ✔ Our live, weekly Virtual Book Club session

➡ Join now at www.HaltingWinter.com

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Principles by Ray Dalio
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Episode 218 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity

Michael Goodrum’s rise through local government was fast, relentless, and at times, ruthless. From living in his car outside a community college to becoming City Manager of Sugar Land, Texas, Michael built a reputation as the guy who could fix anything. But it came at a cost: people, trust, and even his own family.

In this episode, Michael opens up about the early years of ambition-fueled leadership, what broke him (and woke him up), and the radical transformation that followed. From chasing performance to building culture, his story is both a cautionary tale and a blueprint for what’s possible when you decide to lead differently.

If you’ve ever felt torn between doing what’s urgent and doing what’s right—or if you’ve questioned whether you can truly lead without losing yourself—this conversation will hit home.

• The Car. The Coach. The Break.
  How a volleyball coach noticed a homeless student sleeping in a Nissan Sentra and changed everything.

• Ambition Without Alignment
  Why Michael's early success in local government came at the expense of culture, collaboration, and trust.

• The Missed Kindergarten Event
  The moment that forced him to confront the father—and leader—he didn’t want to be.

• A Keynote That Broke Him Open
  How a talk by Bob Chapman (Everybody Matters) led to cold calls, tears, and a new chapter of leadership.

• What Culture Change Actually Takes
  From internal sabotage to shared vision: the 7-year plan to transform Sugar Land from the inside out.

• Coral Springs & The Throwaway Interview
  The city he tried not to get and how a brutal dose of honesty turned into a career-defining opportunity.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-goodrum

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is made possible by Zencity—a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments around the world.

Zencity is a software that enables local government leaders to gather, understand, and act on resident feedback, going beyond the "same ten people" to actually reach residents where they're at, and incorporate that feedback into decisions large and small. To learn more about how Zencity is helping turn data into action and insight into impact:

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Episode 217 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Jeff Meisel, City Manager of Bowling Green, Kentucky, for one of the most powerful and transparent leadership conversations to date.

Jeff’s story isn’t polished—it’s lived. Born and raised in Bowling Green, Jeff never planned to lead the city he grew up in. But after uncovering a major embezzlement scandal inside city hall, he chose to stay. He chose to lead. And he’s been rebuilding trust and momentum ever since.

From his beginnings as a CPA to his decade-long tenure as CFO, and now as City Manager of Kentucky’s third-largest city, Jeff reflects on leadership through crisis, building a dream team, the emotional cost of public service, and how to lead with calm, clarity, and character—even in the public eye.

This is a masterclass in resilience, community-rooted leadership, and what it takes to serve a city that raised you.

• “The FBI Was Called—And I Had to Stay”
  Jeff shares how he uncovered fraud at the highest levels, reported it, and chose to remain and lead the cleanup.

• Built by Bowling Green, Leading for Bowling Green
  A rare look at what it means to serve the city that shaped you and the weight of leading your friends and neighbors.

• Crisis Leadership, Up Close
  What it was like to manage a team through public scandal, staff distrust, and personal exhaustion, all while raising five-month-old twins.

• From Finance to the Frontlines
  How a CPA learned to lead people, manage politics, and build citywide strategy without losing himself.

• How to Build a Dream Team
  When 7 of 9 department heads retired early in his tenure, Jeff saw opportunity and rebuilt a leadership team from the ground up.

• The Power of Quiet Rhythms
  Jeff shares how mowing his own lawn, playing lunch-hour basketball, and walking with his wife have kept him grounded and healthy, despite a chronic illness diagnosis.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-meisel

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is made possible by Zencity—a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments around the world.

Zencity is a software that enables local government leaders to gather, understand, and act on resident feedback, going beyond the "same ten people" to actually reach residents where they're at, and incorporate that feedback into decisions large and small. To learn more about how Zencity is helping turn data into action and insight into impact:

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Show Notes: Book of the Week – The Advantage
Episode 216 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: The Advantage Series)
Episode Title: Why Smart Cities Still Fail

Episode Overview

Your organization has hired the best department heads, balanced the budget, implemented cutting-edge technology, and created a strategic plan that reads like a masterpiece. Yet somehow, your city still feels stuck in quicksand—progress is slow, politics drain energy from prioritized work, and even your most talented people struggle to create meaningful impact.

In this kickoff episode of The Advantage series, Seth Winterhalter explores why technical excellence alone fails to create thriving municipal organizations. Drawing from Patrick Lencioni's insights in "The Advantage," we discover how organizational health—not just organizational intelligence—determines whether cities truly serve their communities effectively.

Whether you're dealing with leadership team dysfunction, staff confusion about priorities, or the exhausting cycle of crisis management, Lencioni's framework offers a comprehensive solution. In this episode, we examine why the most effective municipal leaders focus equally on building trust, creating clarity, and eliminating organizational friction alongside their technical expertise and strategic planning.

Key Takeaways

• How the pursuit of "smart" solutions can mask underlying organizational health problems that kill momentum
• Why even the most qualified leadership teams struggle without vulnerability-based trust and clear communication
• The difference between functional cooperation and genuine collaboration in high-pressure municipal environments
• Lencioni's four disciplines framework and what it means for sustainable municipal transformation
• How to identify whether your organization needs smarter strategies or healthier relationships

This Week's Journey in the MLDC

• Monday: Understanding the health vs. smart paradox and why organizational dysfunction persists despite technical competence
• Tuesday–Thursday: Deep dives into building vulnerability-based trust, creating crystal-clear organizational purpose, and communicating priorities until they become embedded in culture
• Friday: Virtual Book Club for live conversation and practical organizational health implementation strategies

Join the MLDC: Summer Special

Now is the best time to join the MLDC, giving you access to: 
     ✔ All five episodes breaking down one book per week for municipal applications
     ✔ Daily blog reflections and implementation tools
     ✔ A community of local government leaders from across North America
     ✔ Our live, weekly Virtual Book Club session

➡ Join now at www.HaltingWinter.com

Resources Mentioned

• Book: The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Episode 215 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Ed Barrett—retired City Manager of Bangor and Lewiston, Maine—for a masterclass in what long-term, community-centered leadership really looks like. From his early days auditing performance metrics in Tucson to a 22-year tenure leading a full-scale downtown and riverfront revitalization in Bangor, Ed shares hard-won insights that challenge the myth of quick fixes and flashy solutions.

There’s no magic wand in municipal leadership, but there is a path—if you're willing to commit to vision, process, and the slow, steady work of building something that lasts.

Whether you're a city manager, public works director, or rising department leader, this conversation will re-anchor you in the purpose of the profession and the practical courage it requires.

"Your job isn’t to tell people what to do—it’s to help them get it done."
Ed reflects on his early leadership philosophy, shaped by firsthand observations of poor management and morale in Tucson's public works departments.

Leadership Isn’t a Promotion—It’s a Profession
Why the jump from “skilled doer” to “effective leader” is a bigger leap than most cities realize and how mentorship can bridge the gap.

Strategic Patience and Political Courage
How Bangor turned down short-term development wins—including a supermarket on prime waterfront land—in favor of long-term community transformation.

The Power of Tenure
Ed shares why staying 20+ years in one city allowed him to see the fruit of projects that would have died with a 3-year turnover.

Build the Place, Not Just the Economy
From trails and parks to libraries and housing, Ed explains why community development is economic development.

Revitalization Without Bulldozers
How Bangor repurposed its vacant department stores into a children’s museum, assisted living center, and University art museum—sparking a full downtown revival.

Why Strategic Plans Fail—And How to Make Them Work
Ed unpacks why most strategic plans sit on a shelf and how to actually turn them into the spine of decision-making and development.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ed-barrett

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is made possible by Zencity—a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments around the world.

Zencity is a software that enables local government leaders to gather, understand, and act on resident feedback, going beyond the "same ten people" to actually reach residents where they're at, and incorporate that feedback into decisions large and small. To learn more about how Zencity is helping turn data into action and insight into impact:

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Episode 214 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity

What happens when a 22-year-old with no political background or formal training decides to run for city council? In Middlesboro, Kentucky, it leads to transformation.

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Mayor Boone Bowling to explore his unexpected rise from small-town kid to small-town CEO and the messy, meaningful leadership journey in between. From growing up in the office of his father’s tarp company to walking into community meetings uninvited “just to listen,” Boone’s story is a masterclass in how trust is built one room, one relationship, and one risk at a time.

With a construction management degree and a strong belief that “no one really knows what they’re doing at first,” Boone now leads a city of 10,000 that regularly serves over 37,000 people a day. His insights are practical, disarming, and full of heart and he reminds us that real leadership isn’t about polish or pedigree. It’s about showing up.

• A Mousetrap and a Tarp: How Boone’s father turned an idea into a global tarp company and how that work ethic shaped Boone’s leadership style.

• “One Day I Might Run for Mayor”: How a frustrating moment in high school became a future calling.

• No Plan, Just Passion: What it’s really like to file for city council without knowing how a meeting works and why that kind of courage matters.

• Leadership as Listening: Why Boone walked into every community meeting he could find and what it taught him about serving people first.

• Youth Isn’t a Liability—Arrogance Is: How Boone navigated criticism about his age and chose to lead with humility and consistency.

• From Local to Regional Impact: Why a town of 10,000 can drive $452 million in commerce and how Boone is leveraging that momentum for economic growth and revitalization.

• Uncomfortable on Purpose: Why Boone believes the best leaders stay uncomfortable and why that’s a sign of progress, not weakness.

City of Middlesboro: www.cityofmiddlesboro.com

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is made possible by Zencity—a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments around the world.

Zencity is a software that enables local government leaders to gather, understand, and act on resident feedback, going beyond the "same ten people" to actually reach residents where they're at, and incorporate that feedback into decisions large and small. To learn more about how Zencity is helping turn data into action and insight into impact:

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Show Notes: Book of the Week – Unleash the Power of Storytelling
Episode 213 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: The Power of Storytelling Series)
Episode Title: Why Your Best Data Falls on Deaf Ears

Episode Overview

Your presentations are packed with compelling statistics, your proposals are backed by bulletproof research, yet council members remain unconvinced and citizens continue to disengage from municipal priorities.

In this kickoff episode of our Unleash the Power of Storytelling series, Seth Winterhalter explores why even the most logical municipal arguments fail to generate support and action. Drawing from Rob Biesenbach's insights on strategic narrative communication, we discover how stories bridge the gap between technical expertise and public understanding, creating the emotional connection necessary for sustained community engagement.

Whether you're struggling with budget presentation engagement, policy explanation clarity, or maintaining momentum for long-term initiatives, Biesenbach's approach offers a sophisticated solution. In this episode, we examine why the most effective municipal leaders learn to weave narrative with data, making abstract policies personally relevant while maintaining professional credibility and factual accuracy.

Key Takeaways

• How information overload creates citizen disengagement despite municipal leaders' best intentions
• Why logical arguments alone fail to motivate action in high-stakes municipal decision-making
• The difference between data that informs and stories that inspire sustainable community support
• Biesenbach's framework for strategic storytelling and what it means for municipal accountability
• How to bridge the expertise gap between technical knowledge and public comprehension without oversimplifying

This Week's Journey in the MLDC

• Monday: Understanding why data-driven communication fails and how stories create engagement
• Tuesday–Thursday: Deep dives into trust-building through narrative, making complex policies accessible, and sustaining momentum through strategic storytelling
• Friday: Virtual Book Club for live conversation and practical storytelling implementation strategies

Join the MLDC: Summer Special

Now is the best time to join the MLDC, giving you access to: 
     ✔ All five episodes breaking down Unleash the Power of Storytelling for municipal applications
     ✔ Daily blog reflections and emotional intelligence implementation tools
     ✔ A community of city managers and municipal leaders developing leadership effectiveness
     ✔ Our live, weekly Virtual Book Club session

➡ Join now at www.HaltingWinter.com

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Unleash the Power of Storytelling by Rob Biesenbach
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Episode 212 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Steve Dalton, City Administrator of Branson West, Missouri—a small town with 500 residents, million-dollar infrastructure, and a story that defies every assumption about rural government leadership.

From a childhood on a farm with no running water to a reluctant entry into law enforcement, Steve’s journey is anything but traditional. After years in narcotics and investigations, he stepped into the role of police chief and eventually, city administrator, where he now oversees explosive regional growth and one of the boldest annexations in Missouri history: bringing Silver Dollar City into the city limits.

Steve shares how he’s helping Branson West double in size, lead with integrity, and reject the notion that being debt-free equals progress. His philosophy? "Build it before they come and build it right."

“You're hired.”
How a skeptical civilian walked into a police interview, said he wanted the chief’s job, and walked out with a badge and a gun.

From Narcotics to City Hall
Why Steve believes the best city administrators are often former officers who know how to make decisions with limited time and imperfect information.

You Build It Before They Come
The untold story of how a backchannel friendship and a bold sewer bond led to the successful annexation of Silver Dollar City.

Infrastructure as a Vision Tool
Why Branson West, with just 505 residents, has 1.1 million gallons of water in the air and a wastewater plant built for a city 7x its size.

The Cost of Playing It Safe
What Steve told his board when they celebrated being debt-free and why standing still would’ve meant falling behind.

Leadership Without a Degree
How grit, integrity, and action—not credentials—turned a small-town police chief into a regional visionary for growth.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steve-dalton

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is made possible by Zencity, a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments around the world.

Zencity is a software that enables local government leaders to gather, understand, and act on resident feedback, going beyond the "same ten people" to actually reach residents where they're at, and incorporate that feedback into decisions large and small. To learn more about how Zencity is helping turn data into action and insight into impact:

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Episode 211 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity

In this powerful episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Kathy O’Nan, Mayor of Mayfield, Kentucky, a retired teacher turned public servant whose life was forever changed on December 10, 2021, when a catastrophic EF-4 tornado ripped through the heart of her city.

What followed was a story of leadership under fire, community resilience, and a fierce refusal to give up. Kathy shares the emotional and practical realities of leading in the wake of unimaginable loss from navigating FEMA and state recovery funds to helping her community rebuild trust, homes, and hope. With raw honesty and quiet strength, she reflects on the importance of presence in a crisis, the unseen emotional toll of leadership, and how her background as an educator became an unexpected asset in the highest-stakes moment of her life.

This isn’t just a story of tragedy; it’s a masterclass in local leadership, civic love, and the long, hard road of recovery.

• “Right now, you just be here.”
  What a retired firefighter told Kathy in the fire station hours after the tornado and why presence matters more than action in leadership.

• The First Hours After Impact
  How Mayfield’s emergency response unfolded, and why agriculture workers cleared the first roads when no one else could.

• A Teacher at the Helm
  Why Kathy’s decades in the classroom prepared her to speak in national press conferences and hold a city’s hope together.

• The Power of Local Ties
  How former students—now police officers, fire chiefs, and city attorneys—are helping rebuild the community they once sat in class to serve.

• Sticky Notes & a Front Porch Vision
  How Mayfield crowdsourced its recovery plan and why rebuilding isn’t just about buildings, but belonging.

• A Ten-Year Journey
  What Kathy has learned about sustaining leadership, avoiding burnout, and choosing to run for reelection in the face of exhaustion.

City of Mayfield: www.mayfieldky.gov

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is made possible by Zencity—a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments around the world.

Zencity is a software that enables local government leaders to gather, understand, and act on resident feedback, going beyond the "same ten people" to actually reach residents where they're at, and incorporate that feedback into decisions large and small. To learn more about how Zencity is helping turn data into action and insight into impact:

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife
October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA
Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar
November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA
Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

Show Notes: Book of the Week – Who Moved My Cheese?
Episode 210 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Who Moved My Cheese? Series)
Episode Title: When Change Catches Municipal Leaders Off Guard

Episode Overview

The federal grant you've relied on for three years just got eliminated. Your most experienced department head announced retirement. The state passed new regulations that completely change how you deliver services. Your first instinct might be frustration, analysis, or hoping things return to normal but what if these moments are actually opportunities to become a more effective leader?

In this kickoff episode of our Who Moved My Cheese? series, Seth Winterhalter explores how local government leaders can transform their relationship with constant change. Drawing from Spencer Johnson's deceptively simple parable about four characters navigating unexpected shifts, we discover practical frameworks for leading through the uncertainty that defines municipal environments.

Whether you're facing budget cuts, organizational restructuring, or community growth that's overwhelming existing systems, Johnson's insights about change leadership offer powerful tools. In this episode, we examine why the most effective municipal leaders focus their energy on adapting to new realities rather than mourning what used to work, and how this mindset shift transforms everything about your leadership approach.

Key Takeaways

• Why waiting for conditions to return to "normal" is the most dangerous assumption in municipal leadership
• How to distinguish between protecting core principles and defending outdated methods unnecessarily
• The critical difference between reactive and proactive leadership during organizational transitions
• Johnson's framework for recognizing when attachment to familiar approaches prevents effective community service
• How to build change anticipation into your planning assumptions without becoming paralyzed by uncertainty

This Week's Journey in the MLDC

• Monday: Understanding why change leadership beats change management for municipal effectiveness
• Tuesday–Thursday: Deep dives into early warning systems, quick action principles, and releasing approaches that no longer serve your community
• Friday: Virtual Book Club for live conversation and practical change leadership implementation strategies

Join the MLDC: Summer Special

Now is the best time to join the MLDC, giving you access to: 
     ✔ All five episodes breaking down Who Moved My Cheese? for public sector applications
     ✔ Daily blog reflections and emotional intelligence implementation tools
     ✔ A community of city managers and municipal leaders developing leadership effectiveness
     ✔ Our live, weekly Virtual Book Club session

➡ Join now at www.HaltingWinter.com

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Episode 209 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Laura Philpot, City Manager of Maple Valley, Washington, to explore how a career rooted in public works evolved into a leadership philosophy centered on people, not prestige.

Laura’s journey began with a love for math, a concrete canoe competition, and a fascination with big infrastructure projects. But over time, through building bridges, programming traffic lights, and stepping into leadership, her vision changed. Today, it’s not about her name being on a massive structure. It’s about making life better for her neighbors, one sidewalk and salmon stream at a time.

From her early days in construction to leading her hometown through exponential growth, Laura shares how public works shaped her leadership style, why working in your own community transforms the mission, and how collaboration—not control—is the real infrastructure of a thriving city.

From Calculus to Concrete Canoes
How a class presentation hack turned into a civil engineering career and why building big things first lit the fire.

The Rose Garden Revelation
A behind-the-scenes tour of a stadium under construction flipped the switch from curiosity to calling.

The Public Works Wake-Up Call
Laura shares the funny (and brutally honest) reason she left construction for local government and how it wasn’t the easy job she expected.

Leading Where You Live
The emotional gravity of managing the city you call home and why Laura took a pay cut to serve her own community.

Sidewalks Over Stadiums
How her definition of success changed from steel and concrete to salmon runs, sidewalks, and community events.

Culture Starts at Lunch
Why cross-department tension often has nothing to do with data and how sharing meals became her leadership superpower.

The Power of Holding Space
Why not developing a 122-acre parcel is one of her proudest decisions and how vision sometimes means saying “not yet.”

Leadership Is Letting Go
Laura unpacks why she makes fast decisions, rarely clings to them, and welcomes correction as part of leading forward.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/laura-philpot

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is proudly sponsored by Zencity—a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments around the world.

Zencity is a software that enables local government leaders to gather, understand, and act on resident feedback - going beyond the "same ten people" to actually reach residents where they're at, and incorporate that feedback into decisions large and small. To learn more about how Zencity is helping turn data into action and insight into impact, click the link below.

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 24 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 4 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Seat with our Summer Special: Join the MLDC

Episode 208 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Alan Keck, Mayor of Somerset, Kentucky, to unpack what happens when you bring an entrepreneurial mindset into City Hall. From a teenage calling into public service to losing his first election by 24 points, Alan’s journey is anything but conventional—and that’s exactly why it’s so compelling.

Alan shares how growing up in a family of business owners shaped his approach to leadership, why failure was his greatest teacher, and what it really takes to earn trust from the inside out. He doesn’t shy away from the political grind, the emotional cost of leading through tornadoes and pandemics, or the challenge of bringing vision to life in a city that once feared change.

This is a conversation about bold moves, public humility, and the cultural transformation that happens when leaders stop asking for permission and start building something better. If you're a city manager looking to create momentum, a mayor navigating pushback, or anyone wondering what reinvention looks like in real time, this episode is for you.

When Vision Meets Resistance
Alan opens up about the heartbreak of losing his first election and how it fueled a comeback that rewrote Somerset’s future.

From Private Sector to Public Seat
What entrepreneurs bring to local government and what they have to unlearn to lead well in the public square.

Campaigns Are Culture-Building
Why running for office is the ultimate leadership litmus test and how it changes how you see your residents forever.

From Festivals to Fiber
How Alan turned “Light Up Somerset” into more than just events—it became the heartbeat of a cultural revival.

COVID, Tornadoes, and Community
Lessons in presence, pressure, and perspective when the playbook gets ripped up and the city still needs answers.

Trust Over Control
Inside the leadership philosophy that turned 300 city employees into city ambassadors.

Planning with Purpose
Why Somerset 2050 isn’t just a comprehensive plan—it’s a community blueprint designed to outlast any one administration.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alan-keck
Somerset 2050 Plan: www.cityofsomerset.com/2025

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is proudly sponsored by Zencity—a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments around the world.

Zencity is a software that enables local government leaders to gather, understand, and act on resident feedback - going beyond the "same ten people" to actually reach residents where they're at, and incorporate that feedback into decisions large and small. To learn more about how Zencity is helping turn data into action and insight into impact, click the link below.

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 24 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 4 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Seat with our Summer Special: Join the MLDC

Show Notes: Book of the Week – Orbiting the Giant Hairball
Episode 207 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Orbiting the Giant Hairball Series)
Episode Title: When Your City Hall Becomes a Giant Hairball: Breaking Free from Bureaucratic Gravity

Episode Overview

Your organization is accumulating policies faster than it's eliminating them, and this bureaucratic mass is quietly undermining your ability to serve your community effectively.

In this kickoff episode of our Orbiting the Giant Hairball series, Seth Winterhalter explores how municipal governments become trapped in what Gordon MacKenzie called "bureaucratic gravity" – the inexorable pull toward conformity that stifles innovation and prevents adaptive community service. Drawing from MacKenzie's thirty years at Hallmark Cards, we discover how creative leaders can maintain responsible innovation within structured environments.

Whether you're frustrated by permit bottlenecks, departmental silos, or inherited policies that no longer serve their purpose, MacKenzie's concept of "orbiting" offers a sophisticated solution. In this episode, we examine why the most effective municipal leaders learn to balance accountability with creativity, staying connected enough to benefit from organizational resources while maintaining enough distance to generate original solutions.

Key Takeaways

• How municipal "hairballs" form through accumulated policies that never get removed, only added
• Why "Corporate Normalcy" based on past successes prevents adaptation to current community needs
• The difference between necessary structure that enables governance and bureaucratic mass that prevents it
• MacKenzie's concept of "responsible creativity" and what it means for municipal accountability
• How to distinguish between legitimate constraints and inherited assumptions that limit innovation unnecessarily

This Week's Journey in the MLDC

• Monday: Understanding bureaucratic gravity and its impact on community service
• Tuesday–Thursday: Deep dives into leadership self-awareness, courage for innovation, and building creative coalitions within municipal constraints
• Friday: Virtual Book Club for live conversation and practical "orbiting" implementation strategies

Join the MLDC: Summer Special

Now is the best time to join the MLDC, giving you access to: 
     ✔ All five episodes breaking down Orbiting the Giant Hairball for municipal applications
     ✔ Daily blog reflections and emotional intelligence implementation tools
     ✔ A community of city managers and municipal leaders developing leadership effectiveness
     ✔ Our live, weekly Virtual Book Club session

➡ Join now at www.HaltingWinter.com

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon MacKenzie
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Episode 206 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Sandra Fournier, the remarkable Town Manager of Mapleton, Castle Hill, and Chapman, Maine. From a teenage mother without a high school diploma to leading not just one, but three municipalities at the same time, Sandra’s story is one of grit, growth, and grounded leadership.

She opens up about growing up in poverty, the power of second chances, and the pivotal moment when a compassionate town manager helped her during a time of need, planting the seed for her future in public service. Sandra unpacks the complexity of managing three towns under one interlocal agreement, how she builds trust across communities, and why transparency, empathy, and strategic foresight are her greatest tools.

Whether she’s coordinating municipal services, budgeting for capital projects, or literally filling potholes in heels, Sandra embodies what it means to lead boldly while staying deeply human.

The First Experience That Changed Everything
A chance encounter with a compassionate town manager during a season of personal struggle opened Sandra’s eyes to the power of local government and planted the seed for her career.

Yes, Before You’re Ready
Whether it was solid waste, public works, or buildings and facilities, Sandra kept saying yes to opportunities she didn’t feel ready for and grew into every one of them.

Leadership in High Heels
The viral moment she filled potholes in heels isn’t just a photo-op—it’s a reflection of her boots-on-the-ground, no-job-too-small approach to leadership.

Three Towns, One Vision
Sandra unpacks the interlocal agreement that unites Mapleton, Castle Hill, and Chapman and how collaboration can work without compromising local identity.

Pandemic, Policy, and Presence
Stepping into her new role just weeks before COVID hit, Sandra had to build trust, lead change, and protect her team, all while learning Zoom on the fly.

What Capital Planning Really Means
Why budgeting for tomorrow is one of the greatest responsibilities of leadership and how her team paid cash for million-dollar equipment without a single loan.

Above and Below Ground Leadership
From emergency services to community events, Sandra shows how strong infrastructure supports vibrant community and why both matter in small-town success.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-fournier

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is proudly sponsored by Zencity—a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments around the world.

Zencity is a software that enables local government leaders to gather, understand, and act on resident feedback - going beyond the "same ten people" to actually reach residents where they're at, and incorporate that feedback into decisions large and small. To learn more about how Zencity is helping turn data into action and insight into impact, click the link below.

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 24 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 4 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Seat with our Summer Special: Join the MLDC

Episode 205 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Daron Jordan, City Manager of Paducah, Kentucky, to explore a career that started poolside and led all the way to the city manager’s seat. From selling boat stickers as a teenager to becoming the first full-time program and aquatics director in his hometown, Daron’s story is a masterclass in how local government leaders are formed, not in textbooks, but in the trenches.

Daron opens up about the emotional toll of early leadership, the challenge of always being "on," and why stepping away from local government for a season was one of the best decisions he ever made. He also dives deep into the underestimated power of grant writing and how smart, strategic funding helped him shape community development across four Kentucky cities.

This is a candid conversation about burnout, bounce-backs, and the real work of rebuilding trust—both inside city hall and out. Whether you're a department head eyeing the next level, a city manager navigating political tension, or someone who still believes in the quiet dignity of public service, Daron’s story will encourage you to keep showing up.

The Unlikely Path into Public Leadership
From night auditor to aquatics director to city manager—how one man’s winding journey prepared him to lead with both toughness and heart.

The First Seat Comes with Fire
Daron shares what it was like to become a parks and rec director at 24, managing staff twice his age, and what it taught him about presence and pressure.

Burnout Before the Buzzword
A raw look at the emotional cost of leadership and what Daron wishes his younger self had known about boundaries, stress, and family impact.

Grants as Growth Strategy
How writing a $2,000 grant for trees turned into a multi-decade career in community development and economic impact.

Why the Quiet Wins Matter Most
Patching a pothole or fixing a roof may not make headlines, but Daron explains why these are the wins that define a city’s soul.

Leading Through Resistance
From “we’ve always done it this way” to Main Street cuss-outs—what it really takes to lead change in communities afraid of it.

Vision Isn’t Enough
Why knowing 80% of the picture won’t help if your community only sees 15%—and how storytelling becomes the bridge between data and trust.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/daron-jordan

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is proudly sponsored by Zencity—a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments around the world.

Zencity is a software that enables local government leaders to gather, understand, and act on resident feedback - going beyond the "same ten people" to actually reach residents where they're at, and incorporate that feedback into decisions large and small. To learn more about how Zencity is helping turn data into action and insight into impact, click the link below.

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 24 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 4 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Seat with our Summer Special: Join the MLDC

Show Notes: Book of the Week – Reality-Based Leadership
Episode 204 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Reality-Based Leadership Series)
Episode Title: Beyond City Hall Drama: Leading with Reality Instead of Stories

Episode Overview

Your team's energy is being drained by something you can control, but most municipal leaders don't recognize it's happening.

In this kickoff episode of our Reality-Based Leadership series, Seth Winterhalter explores how drama, blame, and resistance consume the energy your organization needs for serving your community. Drawing from Cy Wakeman's helpful research, we discover that the difference between high-performing and struggling municipal teams often comes down to one factor: whether they focus on reality or the stories they tell about reality.

Whether you're dealing with budget constraints, regulatory changes, or council tensions, your team's response to circumstances determines everything. In this episode, we examine why most municipal dysfunction isn't caused by challenging circumstances—it's caused by how people think about challenging circumstances.

Key Takeaways

• Why municipal teams get trapped explaining problems instead of solving them
• How to distinguish between actual circumstances and emotional stories about circumstances
• The hidden cost of drama in municipal organizations and how it spreads between departments
• Why traditional "change management" creates more resistance than results
• How reality-based thinking transforms both team culture and community service delivery

This Week's Journey in the MLDC

• Monday: Introduction to reality vs. story thinking for municipal leaders
• Tuesday–Thursday: Deep dives into eliminating drama, building accountability without blame, and leading change without resistance
• Friday: Virtual Book Club for live conversation and practical reality-based leadership implementation

Join the MLDC: Summer Special

Now is the best time to join the MLDC, giving you access to: 
     ✔ All five episodes breaking down Reality-Based Leadership for municipal applications
     ✔ Daily blog reflections and emotional intelligence implementation tools
     ✔ A community of city managers and municipal leaders developing leadership effectiveness
     ✔ Our live, weekly Virtual Book Club session

➡ Join now at www.HaltingWinter.com

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Reality-Based Leadership by Cy Wakeman
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Episode 203 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter welcomes Wesley Young, City Administrator of Willard, Missouri, for a conversation that’s part memoir, part masterclass on finding purpose in public service.

Wesley’s journey spans continents, careers, and courageous decisions, from growing up in England and overcoming dyslexia to building a life of service in the American Midwest. Along the way, he chose the hard path: leaving the safety of state government for the unpredictable frontlines of local leadership.

Whether you’re in the early days of your public service career or decades in, this episode will remind you why the work matters. It's about grit, gratitude, and the quiet power of doing the right thing—especially when no one's watching.

You Are the Cavalry
How stepping into city management—especially in a small town—means wearing every hat and learning to lead without a net.

Legacy Over Ease
Why Wesley left the comfort of state employment to chase local impact and how his young son’s words confirmed it was the right move.

Underdog Energy
From being labeled “lazy” due to dyslexia to writing 22,000 lines of code to improve performance reviews, Wesley shares what it means to prove people wrong and build systems that serve others.

Faith, Family, and the Work That Lasts
How personal loss, fatherhood, and a quiet moment in a car shaped the values he brings to city leadership.

Breaking Down Bureaucracy
Insightful reflections on the complexity of public infrastructure and the public’s perception gap around local government services (like paying $5 for bottled water but resenting a $1 utility rate increase).

A Call to the Next Generation
Advice for Gen Z: Don’t just point out what’s broken—fix it. Wesley shares how change happens from the inside out and why bold ideas belong in city hall.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/wryoungmpa/

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is proudly sponsored by Zencity—a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments around the world.

Zencity is a software that enables local government leaders to gather, understand, and act on resident feedback - going beyond the "same ten people" to actually reach residents where they're at, and incorporate that feedback into decisions large and small. To learn more about how Zencity is helping turn data into action and insight into impact, click the link below.

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 24 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 4 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Seat with our Summer Special: Join the MLDC

Episode 202 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Rachel Witherspoon, the inspiring Village Manager of Pentwater, Michigan—a leader who reminds us that small towns carry big responsibilities, and often, even bigger stories.

From her early fascination with city council meetings as a kid to navigating the dynamic seasonal rhythms of a summer tourist town on Lake Michigan, this is a story of purpose, persistence, and people-centered leadership.

Rachel shares how internships, mentors, and a deep sense of calling helped her discover city management as a career and why roles like “assistant to the village manager” are some of the most transformative in local government. She reflects on what it’s like to lead in a village of under 900 residents that swells to 10,000 in the summer, and what it means to steward not just infrastructure, but legacy and memory.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone considering the leap into municipal leadership or trying to rediscover the heart behind the work. Rachel's wisdom—on building trust, setting boundaries, and embracing the call to lead—is as refreshing as a lake breeze in July.

The Power of Showing Up Early
How a childhood memory of watching her dad speak at a city council meeting sparked a lifelong love for local government.

The Assistant Seat is Underrated
Why being “the assistant to” may be the most growth-filled role in a city organization and why more people should consider it.

Small Town, Big Complexity
What it takes to run a village that triples in population every summer, from water systems to police staffing to economic development.

Building Trust When You’re the Outsider
Rachel shares her intentional efforts to be visible, communicate openly, and become part of the fabric of Pentwater life.

Six Lessons in Nine Months
We unpack her viral LinkedIn post that highlights the early lessons of being in the seat, from utilizing your network to celebrating small wins.

Why Local Government Isn’t Just a Job—It’s a Calling
A beautiful reflection on faith, mentorship, and the reminder that people—not just policy—are at the center of the work.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/spoonrachel/

Rachel's LinkedIn Post on Lessons Learned: https://bit.ly/4knZKXH

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is proudly sponsored by Zencity—a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments around the world.

Zencity is a software that enables local government leaders to gather, understand, and act on resident feedback - going beyond the "same ten people" to actually reach residents where they're at, and incorporate that feedback into decisions large and small. To learn more about how Zencity is helping turn data into action and insight into impact, click the link below.

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 24 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 4 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Seat with our Summer Special: Join the MLDC

Show Notes: Book of the Week – The Leadership Challenge
Episode 201 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Leadership Challenge Series)
Episode Title: Five Practices That Transform Municipal Leadership

Episode Overview

Research-backed leadership isn't about charisma or authority—it's about five learnable practices that address your unique municipal challenges.

In this kickoff episode of our The Leadership Challenge series, Seth Winterhalter explores how James Kouzes and Barry Posner's decades of leadership research translates directly to the complex environment of municipal leadership. From managing council dynamics to building departmental collaboration, the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership provide a proven framework for navigating the political pressures and public scrutiny that define your daily leadership reality.

Whether you're struggling with credibility, vision alignment, or organizational culture, these research-based practices offer practical approaches that work within the constraints of local government while building the relationships essential for long-term municipal success.

Key Takeaways

• Why the Five Practices framework seems perfectly designed for municipal environments
• How Model the Way addresses the credibility challenges unique to public sector leadership
• Why Inspire a Shared Vision requires different skills in municipal settings than private organizations
• How Challenge the Process and Enable Others to Act drive innovation within government constraints
• Why Encourage the Heart becomes essential for public service motivation and retention

This Week's Journey in the MLDC

• Monday: The Five Practices framework and municipal leadership credibility
• Tuesday–Thursday: Deep dives into values-based leadership, shared vision creation, and innovation within constraints
• Friday: Virtual Book Club for live conversation and practical leadership implementation tools

Join the MLDC: Summer Special

Now is the best time to join the MLDC, giving you access to: 
     ✔ All five episodes breaking down The Leadership Challenge for municipal contexts
     ✔ Daily blog reflections and implementation tools
     ✔ A community of local government leaders developing leadership effectiveness
     ✔ Our live, weekly Virtual Book Club session

➡ Join now at www.HaltingWinter.com/MLDC

Resources Mentioned

• Book: The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes & Barry Posner
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Episode 200 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

For our 200th episode, we’re honored to feature Eyal Feder-Levy, CEO and co-founder of Zencity—a company that’s redefining how local governments understand and serve their communities.

Eyal’s journey began far from the city halls of the U.S. in the world of urban planning and civic tech in Tel Aviv. What started as a fascination with how cities grow and adapt became a bold mission: help city leaders make better decisions by listening more effectively to their residents.

This episode dives into the heart of that mission. Eyal and Seth explore the real challenges local leaders face—drowning in fragmented data, struggling to cut through the noise, and trying to lead in a world where trust is eroding. And then they get practical—how Zencity’s platform takes social media posts, 311 data, open-ended survey responses, and more, and turns it all into real-time insight leaders can use to act.

This isn’t just a tech story, it’s a leadership story. It’s about how listening well might just be the most important skill for every city manager, mayor, or public works director in today’s environment.

And yes, it’s also the official announcement that Zencity is now the presenting sponsor of The HaltingWinter Podcast. Let’s go.

What’s Broken in Local Feedback Loops:
Eyal shares why traditional resident engagement tools—like town halls and one-way surveys—fail to capture the full picture, and how Zencity is changing that.

Why Listening is a Leadership Superpower:
In an era of mistrust and polarization, Eyal explains why it’s more important than ever that leaders really hear what their communities are saying, beyond the loudest voices in the room.

From Tech Founder to Municipal Ally:
Eyal opens up about his shift from “startup CEO” to “partner in public service,” and why Zencity doesn’t just want to sell tools—it wants to solve real problems.

Turning Data into Direction:
How Zencity helps local governments filter noise, find trends, and make confident decisions, without guessing what their residents want or need.

What Keeps Eyal Up at Night (and What Gives Him Hope):
A powerful reflection on the state of democracy, the future of civic leadership, and why he’s still optimistic about the role local governments can play.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/eyalfeder

Email: eyal@zencity.io

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is proudly sponsored by Zencity—a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments around the world.

Zencity helps city and county leaders make more confident, community-informed decisions by turning resident input into real-time, actionable insights. Whether it’s social media sentiment, 311 calls, or open-ended survey feedback, Zencity distills the noise into clear signals—so local leaders can lead with clarity, not guesswork.

Learn more at Zencity.io

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 24 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 4 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Seat with our Summer Special: Join the MLDC

Episode 199 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Gabe Reaume, City Manager of Saginaw, Texas—a fast-growing city northwest of Fort Worth—whose path into municipal leadership is anything but typical.

Gabe’s story begins on a dairy farm in rural Michigan, winds through a nearly abandoned education degree, and takes shape thanks to the advice of an old farmer who suggested city management as a career. What follows is a tale of grit, growth, and grace from hauling livestock and living without a car to working unpaid internships and eventually leading a thriving Texas city.

But Gabe’s leadership journey isn’t just about policy and budgets; it’s also deeply personal. In the midst of rising through the ranks, he found healing and joy through writing, penning both a memoir and a novel while navigating the pressures of public service.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that some of the most impactful leaders come from unexpected places and that creativity, humility, and persistence still matter in local government.

Rooted in Rural Values:
Gabe reflects on growing up in a multigenerational farming family and how early lessons in hard work, patience, and practicality continue to shape his leadership today.

No Car, No Salary, No Problem:
How volunteering for an unpaid internship while walking to work launched his career and why young professionals should stop waiting for perfect conditions and just show up.

Living with Grandma, Writing a Memoir:
The deeply personal story of how moving in with a friend’s grandmother became a transformative chapter, one that inspired his first book and shaped his view of life and legacy.

Leading Without a Script:
Why city management isn’t about being the smartest person in the room, but about serving with humility, embracing the mess, and staying mission-focused.

Creative Outlets and Sustainable Leadership:
Gabe opens up about writing as a way to manage stress, stay grounded, and connect with the humanity behind the work.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gabe-reaume

Books: Gabe Reaume on Amazon

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 24 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 4 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Summer Special and Start Your FREE 7-day trial 
Join the MLDC

Show Notes: Book of the Week – The Productivity Project
Episode 198 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Productivity Project Series)
Episode Title: Beyond Busy: Why Municipal Leaders Need to Rethink Productivity

Episode Overview
Being busy and being productive are not the same thing, and the difference could transform your municipal leadership.

In this kickoff episode of our The Productivity Project series, Seth Winterhalter explores how municipal leaders fall into the dangerous "factory mindset" trap that equates activity with accomplishment. Drawing from Chris Bailey's year-long productivity experiment, we discover that true effectiveness comes from managing three critical resources: your time, your attention, and your energy.

Whether you're juggling council demands, managing department heads, or navigating community crises, your capacity to work strategically rather than reactively determines your impact. In this episode, we examine why working longer hours often produces fewer meaningful results and how to escape the busyness trap that's exhausting municipal leaders nationwide.

Key Takeaways

• How emotional contagion amplifies in high-stakes municipal environments
• Why your stress during budget season affects your entire team's performance
• The connection between emotional regulation and community confidence
• How crisis leadership begins with emotional self-management
• Why traditional "just focus on the facts" approaches fall short in public sector leadership

This Week's Journey in the MLDC

• Monday: The factory mindset trap and why busyness isn't productivity
• Tuesday–Thursday: Deep dives into time management (Rule of Three), attention protection, and energy optimization
• Friday: Virtual Book Club for live conversation and practical productivity implementation tools

Join the MLDC: Summer Special

Now is the best time to join the MLDC, giving you access to: 
     ✔ All five episodes breaking down The Productivity Project for municipal contexts
     ✔ Daily blog reflections and emotional intelligence implementation tools
     ✔ A community of city managers and local government leaders developing leadership effectiveness
     ✔ Our live, weekly Virtual Book Club session

➡ Join now at www.HaltingWinter.com/MLDC

Resources Mentioned

• Book: The Productivity Project by Chris Bailey
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Episode 197 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Greg Camp, City Administrator of Festus, Missouri—a small city just outside St. Louis with a big vision for growth and community.

Greg’s path into local government wasn’t traditional. In fact, he started behind the microphone as a radio DJ and program director. But after discovering public service when asked to become an elected official and finding joy in the mechanics of municipal impact, he made the leap and never looked back.

With a clear sense of stewardship and a refreshing humility, Greg shares the behind-the-scenes story of how Festus is modernizing infrastructure, navigating regional collaboration, and building a culture where leaders don’t just fill the seat—they do the work.

From Broadcasting to the Ballot Box:
Greg shares how his career as a radio DJ and program director unexpectedly led him to run for local office and eventually become the mayor of his hometown.

When Vocation Meets Service:
Why he chose to leave radio and fully step into city administration, treating leadership not as a job, but as a calling.

BFT: Belief, Faith, and Trust:
Greg unpacks his core leadership framework and why trust-building is the most important—and most overlooked—part of municipal work.

Budgeting with Intention:
How Festus is investing in infrastructure, modernizing city systems, and aligning dollars with long-term values, not just short-term fixes.

Humility and the Long Game:
Why leading with ego is a trap, and how Greg centers his team on culture, stewardship, and quiet effectiveness.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/greg-camp

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 24 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 4 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Summer Special and Start Your FREE 7-day trial 
Join the MLDC

Episode 196 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Shawn Bell, City Administrator of Fountain Inn, South Carolina, to explore what it really means to lead through rapid growth, political transition, and natural disaster—all while keeping your team and community grounded.

Shawn’s path into city management is anything but traditional. From interning in the Missouri State House to managing campaigns and working in D.C., it wasn’t until a professor introduced him to city management that he found the work that felt like home. Now, as the leader of one of South Carolina’s fastest-growing cities, Shawn brings a rare blend of political savvy, infrastructure insight, and people-first leadership.

This is a powerful conversation about what happens when population surges outpace your building capacity, when small-town culture meets big-time growth, and why the best local government leaders are those willing to get their hands dirty.

From Politics to Pipes:
How a career in campaigns and lobbying led to a love for local government and what Ferguson, Missouri, taught him about the power of proximity.

Baptized by Fire:
Shawn recounts his first years in South Carolina local government, learning utility infrastructure, emergency response, and economic development on the job.

Small Towns, Big Challenges:
Why starting in a rural city with limited staff taught him more than any textbook and why more MPA grads should do the same.

The Truth About Growth:
Fountain Inn’s population has nearly doubled in under a decade and how the city’s team, zoning approach, and facilities have had to sprint just to keep up.

Serving with Speed:
Shawn shares how his “100 MPH” leadership style has helped Fountain Inn stay agile in a region where change isn’t always fast—or welcomed.

Public Service Starts with People:
Why it’s not enough to deliver services—you need to show up for your team, your family, and your community with clarity and care.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bellieveit

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 24 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 4 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Summer Special and Start Your FREE 7-day trial 
Join the MLDC

Show Notes: Book of the Week – Primal Leadership
Episode 195 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Primal Leadership Series)
Episode Title: The Emotional Ripple Effect: How Your Leadership Mood Shapes Your Entire City

Episode Overview
Your emotions don't just affect you; they ripple through your entire organization and into the community you serve.

In this kickoff episode of our Primal Leadership series, Seth Winterhalter explores how emotional intelligence drives municipal effectiveness in ways most leaders never recognize. Drawing from Daniel Goleman's research, we discover that the difference between thriving and struggling municipal organizations often comes down to one factor: the leader's emotional wake.

Whether you're navigating council tensions, managing crisis response, or building team morale, your emotional state becomes contagious before you say a single word. In this episode, we examine why emotional leadership isn't a "soft skill"—it's the foundation that determines whether your technical expertise can be successfully implemented.

Key Takeaways

• How emotional contagion amplifies in high-stakes municipal environments
• Why your stress during budget season affects your entire team's performance
• The connection between leader emotional regulation and community confidence
• How crisis leadership begins with emotional self-management
• Why traditional "just focus on the facts" approaches fall short in public sector leadership

This Week's Journey in the MLDC

• Monday: The emotional ripple effect and why it matters for municipal leaders
• Tuesday–Thursday: Deep dives into self-awareness, social awareness, and leadership style flexibility
• Friday: Virtual Book Club for live conversation and practical emotional intelligence tools

Join the MLDC: Summer Special

Now is the best time to join the MLDC, giving you access to: 
     ✔ All five episodes breaking down Primal Leadership for municipal applications
     ✔ Daily blog reflections and emotional intelligence implementation tools
     ✔ A community of city managers and municipal leaders developing leadership effectiveness
     ✔ Our live, weekly Virtual Book Club session

➡ Join now at www.HaltingWinter.com

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, Annie McKee
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Episode 194 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Janice Allen Jackson, a veteran city and county manager turned executive coach and consultant, to talk about the one thing that most local governments get wrong: they focus on process when they should be investing in people.

With decades of experience leading in Georgia and the Carolinas—often as the first or only Black woman in the room—Janice brings a rare blend of clarity, courage, and compassion. Now, as a sought-after coach for local government executives, she’s helping today’s leaders build the confidence, presence, and culture their teams need.

From transparency in public engagement to the quiet harm of toxic cultures, this conversation offers a masterclass in what it really takes to lead in today’s municipal environment.

Local Government Has a People Problem:
Why policy and process won’t fix what’s broken and why every city needs to start with leadership development and culture.

Every Monday Is an Audition:
Janice explains how public trust is earned in council meetings, not press releases and why your executive presence matters more than your title.

Executive Presence, Redefined:
What it really means to “show up” as a leader and how to move beyond image to authentic alignment.

The Truth About Accountability:
You can’t demand results from employees who don’t feel safe, valued, or supported.

The Leadership Lessons No One Taught You:
How coaching helps leaders avoid burnout, build confidence, and navigate the emotional complexity of public service.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/janice-allen-jackson

Website (new): www.janiceallenjackson.com

Website: www.janiceallenjackson.weebly.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 South Carolina APWA Chapter Annual Conference
June 24 | Spartanburg, SC
Details at SCAPWA

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 24 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 4 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Summer Special and Start Your FREE 7-day trial 
Join the MLDC

Episode 193 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Rebecca Houseman, City Manager of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin—a leader who didn’t chase the title but earned it through grit, adaptability, and a relentless commitment to the communities she serves.

From stepping into planning and clerking roles without formal training to building full-time EMS/fire services in a city that had long relied on volunteers, Rebecca’s story is a masterclass in the kind of leadership that local government demands: practical, people-focused, and profoundly personal.

We talk about what it means to lead in a mid-sized city with limited resources, how to build trust with staff and residents alike, and the emotional weight that comes with being the one in the chair when no one else will step up.

If you’ve ever juggled multiple hats in a small or mid-sized city, fought for a referendum, or wondered how to keep going when a major project falls through, this conversation is for you.

A Reluctant Leader Finds Her Way:
How Rebecca’s journey from “reluctant leader” to city manager began with internships, encouragement, and saying yes to the roles no one else would take.

Planning, Clerking, and Everything In Between:
The power of learning on the job and how wearing multiple hats shaped her ability to lead from the center.

EMS Reform That Changed Everything:
Why Rebecca took a leap of faith to break an EMS contract before the referendum passed and how that risk paid off.

When Development Deals Fall Apart:
The emotional and professional cost of investing two years in a housing project that never happened and why Rebecca kept pushing forward anyway.

Collaboration Over Competition:
How Fort Atkinson benefits from regional partnerships and why economic development is a shared mission, not a solo act.

Leadership in the Shadows:
What most people never see about the long, lonely, and meaningful work of city management.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-houseman

WCMA: www.wcma-wi.org

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 South Carolina APWA Chapter Annual Conference
June 24 | Spartanburg, SC
Details at SCAPWA

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 24 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 4 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Summer Special and Start Your FREE 7-day trial 
Join the MLDC

Episode 192 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
(Part 1 of 5: Measure What Matters Series)
Episode Title: Why Most Local Government Goals Fail

It’s not that local government leaders don’t set goals—it’s that we rarely set the right ones.

In this kickoff episode of our Measure What Matters series, Seth Winterhalter introduces the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) framework popularized by John Doerr. With roots in Silicon Valley but massive relevance for city management, this system helps teams clarify outcomes, track progress, and stay aligned—without drowning in endless to-do lists.

Whether you're managing city operations, launching a new initiative, or leading internal culture change, OKRs offer a clear path to success. In this episode, we look at why so many government goals fall flat—and what to do instead.

• Why goals often stall out in local government

• The difference between output and outcome

• What makes the OKR framework so powerful and practical

• The danger of measuring activity instead of progress

• How clear, measurable objectives improve alignment and momentum

• Monday: Introduction to OKRs and why they matter in public service

• Tuesday–Thursday: Deep dives into setting objectives, defining key results, and team implementation

• Friday: Virtual Book Club for live conversation and practical takeaways

This week’s free trial gives you access to:
✔ All five episodes breaking down Measure What Matters
✔ Daily blog reflections and practical implementation tools
✔ A community of city managers and municipal leaders from across the country
✔ Our live, weekly Virtual Mastermind session

➡ Start your free 7-day trial now at HaltingWinter.com

• Book: Measure What Matters by John Doerr

• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

• Weekly Newsletter: The Leader’s Lens

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter

• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Show Notes: Sam Toles – Belonging Beats Bureaucracy: 
What CiviSocial Reveals About Our Civic Crisis
Episode 191 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

In this return conversation, Seth Winterhalter welcomes back Sam Toles, CEO of CiviSocial, to explore the ideas behind his new book and a growing movement to rebuild trust, identity, and participation in local government.

Sam’s not just a civic tech founder—he’s a former digital executive (Warner Bros, MGM, Bleacher Report) who now devotes his career to reimagining how communities connect. And what he sees is urgent: a civic crisis driven by disconnection, disillusionment, and a sense that government doesn’t feel personal anymore.

This episode dives deep into the future of civic engagement, the power of belonging, and why municipalities must evolve from broadcasting to co-creating if they want to earn public trust.

This conversation is anchored in Sam’s new book, The Social Media Playbook for City and County Managers—a practical, entertaining guide for local government leaders looking to modernize their approach.
Download your free copy

The Civic Disconnect
Why most Americans feel more emotionally connected to influencers than to their own cities and what that means for trust in local government

Civic Social Capital Defined
How Sam’s new book reframes community strength not in demographics or voter turnout but in shared rituals, digital touchpoints, and micro-interactions that build trust

From Transaction to Relationship
Why cities must stop optimizing for efficiency alone and start designing systems that feel human, not bureaucratic

The Real Public Square
How to rethink public meetings, local apps, and digital engagement platforms to serve as modern civic gathering spaces—not just information dumps

Designing for Belonging
What local governments can learn from entertainment, social platforms, and storytelling when it comes to relevance and emotional connection

Hope Through Infrastructure
Sam shares what he’s seeing on the front lines—cities experimenting with belonging as infrastructure and local teams hungry for something that works

Website: www.civisocial.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/samtoles
Grab his new book: The Social Media Playbook for City and County Managers
Download your free copy or purchase a paperback copy on Amazon

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Leadership.

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 South Carolina APWA Chapter Annual Conference
June 24 | Spartanburg, SC
Details at SCAPWA

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 24 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 4 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Summer Special and Start Your FREE 7-day trial 
Join the MLDC

Episode 190 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Michael Herbert, Town Manager of Ashland, Massachusetts, for one of the most powerful conversations we’ve had on the podcast to date.

Michael’s story isn’t just about policy or public administration—it’s about personal transformation. From struggling with addiction and homelessness to becoming a respected municipal leader, Michael shares how hitting rock bottom gave him the perspective, resilience, and purpose he now brings to his role every day.

We talk about the long arc of recovery, the slow work of rebuilding a town’s identity, and the courage it takes to lead with transparency even when it’s unpopular.

If you’ve ever wondered how someone’s past can shape their impact or how small towns can create big change, this episode is a must-listen.

From Rock Bottom to Town Hall:
Michael opens up about the lowest point in his life and the decision that helped him climb out and into a career of public service.

The Long Game of Leadership:
Why real change in local government requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to plant trees you may never sit under.

The Price and Power of Transparency:
An honest look at the emotional cost of being open with residents and why Michael believes it’s still worth it.

A New England Perspective:
What it means to lead in a “Open-Town-Meeting” form of government, and how tradition shapes leadership expectations in Massachusetts.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-herbert

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Leadership. 

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

2025 South Carolina APWA Chapter Annual Conference
June 24 | Spartanburg, SC
Details at SCAPWA

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 24 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 4 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Summer Special and Start Your FREE 7-day trial 
Join the MLDC