The HaltingWinter Podcast

Show Notes: Sandra Fournier: Filling Potholes in Heels: What it Takes for Bold Leadership in the Face of Bureaucracy Episode 206 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Zencity Overview 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...

Show Notes: Daron Jordan: Grants, Grit, and the Quiet Wins That Build Cities Episode 205 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Zencity Overview 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 f...

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 Re...

Show Notes: Wesley Young: From Comfort to Calling: Choosing the Hard Path of Local Impact Episode 203 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Overview 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 decision...

Show Notes: Rachel Witherspoon: Stewarding Stories and Small-Town Summers - Leading with Heart in Local Government Episode 202 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Zencity Overview 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 b...

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...

Show Notes: Eyal Feder-Levy – From Noise to Insight: How Zencity Helps Cities Truly Listen Episode 200 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Overview 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...

Show Notes: Gabe Reaume – Farm Boy. Fiction Writer. City Manager: An Unconventional Rise to Leadership Episode 199 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Overview 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 Mi...

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 Productiv...

Show Notes: Greg Camp – The Mic, the Mission, and Municipal Leadership: From Radio Waves to City Growth Episode 197 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Overview 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...

Show Notes: Shawn Bell - Baptized by Fire: Zoning, Growth, and the Power of Local Government Episode 196 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Overview 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 commun...

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 Leader...

Show Notes: Janice Allen Jackson – You Can't Lead What You Don't Value: People, Not Process, in Local Government Episode 194 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Overview 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 w...

Show Notes: Rebecca Houseman – Reluctant Leader, Relentless Impact: Navigating Referendums, Red Tape, and Real Change Episode 193 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Overview 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 communiti...

Show Notes: Book of the Week – Measure What Matters Episode 192 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Measure What Matters Series) Episode Title: Why Most Local Government Goals Fail Episode Overview 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 (Ob...

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

Show Notes: Michael Herbert – Second Chances and Stronger Cities: From Addiction to Public Impact Episode 190 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Overview 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'...

Show Notes: Book of the Week – Dare to Lead Episode 189 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Dare to Lead Series) Episode Title: Leadership Requires Vulnerability Episode Overview If you think leadership is about power and perfection, think again. In this first episode of our five-part series on Brené Brown's Dare to Lead , Seth Winterhalter explores the foundational—and often uncomfortable—...

Show Notes: Dalton Pierce: Urgency Meets Unity: Learning to Lead Without Leaving People Behind Episode 188 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Overview In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth Winterhalter sits down with Dalton Pierce , City Manager of York, South Carolina , to explore the leadership tensions every municipal executive knows too well: how do you balance the urgency to improve w...

Show Notes: Will Ibershof: Guts, Growth, and the Greater Good: Leading Through Service in Small-Town Government Episode 187 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Overview In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Will Ibershof, City Administrator of Madras, Oregon—and former mayor of Duval, Washington—for a conversation that's as raw as it is inspiring. From throwing up during his first campaign ev...

Show Notes: Book of the Week – "Turn the Ship Around" Episode 186 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: "Turn the Ship Around" Series) Episode Title: Why Giving Up Control is the Boldest Leadership Move You Can Make Episode Overview What if the key to stronger teams isn't more control, but more trust? In this opening episode of our 5-part series on Turn the Ship Around by David Marquet , Seth...

Show Notes: Christopher Gilbert – Culture Is the Customer Experience: Leading from the Inside Out Episode 185 of The  HaltingWinter Podcast Overview In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Christopher Gilbert, Township Administrator of Springfield Township, Ohio, to explore how customer service isn't just a frontline task, it's a leadership philosophy. With a background in engineering an...

Show Notes: Milton Dohoney Jr. – When the Title Feels Heavy: Leading Through Burdens No One Sees Episode 184 of The  HaltingWinter Podcast Overview In this vulnerable and deeply reflective episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth Winterhalter sits down with Milton Dohoney Jr. , City Administrator of Ann Arbor, Michigan—a seasoned leader with decades of executive municipal experience and the har...

Show Notes: Book of the Week – "The New Public Service" Episode 183 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Citizens, Not Customers (Part 1 of 5: "The New Public Service" Series) Episode Overview In this opening episode of our latest MLDC series, Seth Winterhalter challenges one of the most common assumptions in local government leadership: that residents are customers and cities are service providers. Drawi...

Show Notes: Legally Blind, Leading Boldly – Bret Prebula's Vision for Smarter Government Episode 182 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Overview In this bold and deeply personal episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth Winterhalter sits down with Bret Prebula , City Manager of Suisun City, California, whose story is reshaping how we think about leadership in local government. Legally blind due to a d...