x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The HaltingWinter Podcast

Seth Winterhalter

The HaltingWinter Podcast offers insights and strategies for city managers and municipal leaders to transform their leadership, energize their teams, and revitalize their municipalities. Hosted by Seth Winterhalter, President of HaltingWinter Municipal Solutions, we explore innovative approaches to balance personal well-being with professional growth while cultivating a vibrant workplace culture. Discover how to lead with purpose, navigate complex challenges, and deliver exceptional results for

government management

All Episodes

01:43:43

314: Peter Pirnejad: Leading Before You're Ready

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/04/02

Peter Pirnejad: Leading Before You're ReadyThe Hidden Crisis Facing the Next Generation of City Managers Episode 314 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies Local government leadership has changed. Not gradually. Not subtly. But quickly and in ways most leaders weren't prepared for. In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Dr. Peter Pirnejad, former city manager and now Executive Director of the Davenport Institute, to unpack what's really happening inside

en

01:41:06

313: Chris Fabian: The Story Your Budget Is Telling

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/03/31

Chris Fabian: The Story Your Budget Is TellingHow Leaders Align Resources, Priorities, and Outcomes to Drive Impact Episode 313 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies Local government leaders don't struggle because they lack resources. They struggle because they lack clarity on where those resources are actually going and whether they're aligned with what matters most. In this episode, Seth sits down with Chris Fabian, Senior Director of Product Strategy at Tyler

en

05:07

312: Book of the Week: Turn the Ship Around

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/03/30

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – Turn the Ship AroundEpisode 312 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Most local government organizations are built on a model that quietly undermines the people inside them. One person at the top makes the calls. Everyone else executes. Information travels up. Decisions travel down. And your most capable people (the ones with the most context, the most experience, the most judgment) learn to wait for permission. This week's MLDC book of the week is "Turn the Ship

en

01:05:05

311: Jerry Gabrielatos: AI and the Stewardship of Time

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/03/26

Jerry Gabrielatos: Artificial Intelligence and the Stewardship of TimeReclaiming Capacity to Better Serve Your Community Episode 311 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future conversation; it's here. And for local government leaders, the real question isn't whether to use it…it's what you do with the time it gives back. In this episode, Seth sits down with returning guest Jerry Gabrielatos (former City Manager of Beloit, WI) to

en

01:09:59

310: Benjamin Bitter: Impact Over Title

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/03/24

Benjamin Bitter: Impact Over TitleWhy Great City Managers Focus on People, Not Position Episode 310 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies What does it really mean to lead in local government? For Benjamin Bitter, City Manager of Maricopa, Arizona, the answer is simple, but not easy: It's not about the title. It's about the impact. In this conversation, Benjamin shares a leadership philosophy shaped not by ambition, but by service, where success isn't measured by

en

06:10

309: Book of the Week: Inner Excellence

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/03/23

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – Inner ExcellenceEpisode 309 of The HaltingWinter Podcast This week inside the Municipal Leadership Development Circle, we're exploring "Inner Excellence" by Jim Murphy, a book that went from obscurity to #1 New York Times bestseller overnight when Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown was caught reading it during an NFL playoff game. Why did elite performers recognize this book immediately? Because Murphy discovered something revolutionary: the pursuit of

en

01:28:32

308: Jessica Leavins: Called to Care

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/03/19

Jessica Leavins: Called to CareEmpathy, Public Scrutiny, and the Weight of Municipal Leadership Episode 308 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies What prepares someone to become a city manager? For Jessica Leavins, it wasn't a lifelong plan. It was a calling shaped by family roots, social work, organizational psychology, and a deep desire to serve people well. In this conversation, Jessica shares her journey from growing up in rural Florida on land her family has

en

01:16:25

307: Josh Finch: From Manure to Management

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/03/17

Josh Finch: From Manure to ManagementRejection, Resilience, and the Making of a City Administrator Episode 307 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies There is no "perfect" path into city management. Josh Finch proves it. From shoveling manure as a seasonal parks laborer to becoming a city administrator at 24, Josh's journey into local government wasn't traditional; it was earned. In this conversation, Josh shares how a low GPA, rejection from his first administrative

en

06:09

306: Book of the Week: The One Thing

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/03/16

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – The One ThingEpisode 306 of The HaltingWinter Podcast This week's Municipal Leadership Development Circle Book of the Week is "The One Thing" by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, and it has some unique insights that we'll be translating for effective leadership in local government. How many priorities are you juggling right now? Council demands, staff needs, community expectations, budget pressures, organizational initiatives? If you're like most municipal

en

01:11:56

305: Ken Striplin: Culture Is Built, Not Assumed

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/03/12

Ken Striplin: Culture Is Built, Not AssumedWhat It Takes to Develop Leaders and Sustain Excellence in Local Government Episode 305 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies What does it actually take to build a municipal culture that lasts? Not slogans. Not one-off trainings. Not a new strategic plan every few years. In this episode, Ken Striplin, City Manager of Santa Clarita, California, shares what 30 years inside one organization has taught him about leadership,

en

01:06:41

304: Jeff Weckbach: The Conversation That Launched a...

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/03/10

Jeff Weckbach: The Conversation That Launched a CareerHow Exposure and Mentorship Shape the Next Generation of City Managers Episode 304 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies What if the future of local government hinges on a single conversation? Before he ever stepped into the Township Administrator's office in Colerain Township, Ohio, Jeff Weckbach was simply a college student completing an assignment. He reached out to then–City Manager Milton Dohoney for an

en

05:19

303: Book of the Week: Boundaries for Leaders

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/03/09

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – Boundaries for LeadersEpisode 303 of The HaltingWinter Podcast What if you have more control as a local government leader than you realize? This week in the Municipal Leadership Development Circle, we're exploring "Boundaries for Leaders" by Dr. Henry Cloud, a book that reframes leadership from managing what happens to setting boundaries that create the conditions for success. In this episode, Seth Winterhalter introduces the core concepts of the book and

en

01:09:14

302: Travis Coenen: Leading Where Everyone Knows Your...

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/03/05

Travis Coenen: Leading Where Everyone Knows Your NameBuilding Systems That Turn Small-Town Pressures Into Sustainable Growth Episode 302 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies What does leadership look like when everyone in town knows you and isn't afraid to tell you what they think? In this episode, Seth sits down with Travis Coenen, Village Administrator of Wrightstown, Wisconsin, to explore the weight and reward of leading in a small community. From growing up in a

en

01:23:13

301: Brian Heck: Thick Skin, Soft Heart

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/03/03

Brian Heck: Thick Skin, Soft HeartAbsorbing Criticism While Building Communities That Last Episode 301 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies What does it take to lead in local government for nearly four decades? In this episode, Seth sits down with Brian Heck, City Administrator of Montgomery, Minnesota, who was recently named one of the Top 10 City Administrators for 2026. After 38 years serving in city, county, and state government, and now preparing for retirement,

en

05:18

300: Book of the Week: Essentialism

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/03/02

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – EssentialismEpisode 300 of The HaltingWinter Podcast This week inside the Municipal Leadership Development Circle, we're exploring Greg McKeown's "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less," and it will challenge everything you think you know about effective leadership. In this episode, Seth Winterhalter introduces the core concepts from Essentialism and why they matter specifically for local government leaders. If you're exhausted from trying to do

en

01:16:14

299: Abbie Ogborn: Leading Before You Feel Ready

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/02/26

Abbie Ogborn: Leading Before You Feel ReadyGrowth, Grit, and Guiding a Small City Through Big Change Episode 299 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies Abbie Ogborn didn't set out to become a city manager. She started as a softball umpire in her hometown of Wright City, Missouri. From there, she moved into the parks department, accounts payable, and in February 2020, she was sworn in as the City Clerk. Three weeks later, City Hall shut its doors. In this episode, Abbie

en

01:22:43

298: Craig Honeycutt: Why Compromise Isn't Weakness

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/02/24

Craig Honeycutt: Why Compromise Isn't WeaknessThe Emotional Resilience Required to Lead in Local Government Episode 298 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies After more than three decades in municipal leadership, serving as town manager, city manager, county manager, and ultimately retiring as City Manager of Burlington, North Carolina, Craig Honeycutt has learned something many leaders only discover the hard way: Compromise is not weakness. And criticism is rarely

en

07:05

297: Book of the Week: Payoff

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/02/22

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – PayoffEpisode 297 of The HaltingWinter Podcast You can't compete on salary. Your pay scales are rigid. Your bonus structure is practically nonexistent. If motivation really came down to money, you'd be leading the most demoralized teams in America. Except you're not. This week inside the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC), we're exploring "Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations" by Dan Ariely, and what we're discovering is going to

en

01:24:15

296: Lyndsay Mitchell: From Plans to Progress

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/02/19

Lyndsay Mitchell: From Plans to ProgressBuilding Cities and Preparing the Next Generation of Municipal Leaders Episode 296 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies What happens when great plans never turn into real progress? In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Lyndsay Mitchell, Director of Strategic Initiatives for the City of Arlington, Texas, for a grounded and candid conversation about what it actually takes to move cities

en

01:15:07

295: Jesse Thyes: Built Along the Way

The HaltingWinter Podcast ·

2026/02/17

Jesse Thyes: Built Along the WayHow Leaders Emerge Through Experience Episode 295 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies Most municipal leaders didn't start with a clear plan to achieve their current role. They grew into the role through experience, responsibility, and the people who invited them to step forward. In this episode, Jesse Thyes, City Administrator of West Bend, Wisconsin, shares his journey from technical roles in planning and zoning to the administrator's

en

318 results

Similar Podcasts

The Fly

Georgetown"s Institute of Politics and...

THE CONSTITUTION STUDY

Paul Engel

The DSR Daily

The DSR Network

The Lawfare Podcast

The Lawfare Institute

Fora do Baralho

Rádio Observador