HaltingWinter

HaltingWinter Candid conversations with city managers and public servants leading cities to greater impact.

Personal Coaching: Body, Mind, Soul
Business Consulting: Leadership Development, Strategy, Culture, Marketing, Events

The more responsibility you gain, the more tempting it can be to stay involved in everything.But eventually, that stops ...
09/03/2026

The more responsibility you gain, the more tempting it can be to stay involved in everything.

But eventually, that stops working.

In Episode 380 of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Harnett County Manager Brent Trout shares what he’s learned as he moved from managing a community of roughly 900 people to helping lead a county organization spanning 25 departments.

Because as the organization grows, the manager’s job has to grow with it.

Listen: https://haltingwinter.com/hwp-brent-trout/
Watch: https://youtu.be/--lA-DfFFNE?si=B_-_hBwpB-RB09-V
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Sponsor Highlight: Tyler Technologies, Inc.
Great leadership requires both innovation and resilience. Access free resources on AI, budgeting, and organizational readiness from Tyler Technologies at TylerTech.com/WINTER.

Halting Winter

Local government needs talented people. But are some of the systems we've built to find them actually keeping them out?T...
09/01/2026

Local government needs talented people. But are some of the systems we've built to find them actually keeping them out?

That's the question at the center of this week's conversation with Placer County HR Director Joe Ambrosini.

Joe has experienced local government hiring from both sides of the process, and his story raises important questions about experience, opportunity, and the workforce our communities will need next.

Are we hiring for the future or protecting the past?

Listen here: https://haltingwinter.com/hwp-joe-ambrosini/
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Sponsor Highlight: Tyler Technologies, Inc.
Looking for practical ways to work smarter with limited time, people, and resources? Download Tyler Technologies' free AI and resilience resources for local government leaders at TylerTech.com/WINTER.

Halting Winter

All summer, the MLDC has been inside stories of extraordinary leadership, people who built something meaningful under im...
08/31/2026

All summer, the MLDC has been inside stories of extraordinary leadership, people who built something meaningful under impossible conditions. It's been a remarkable series.

Now we turn toward fall, and we're opening with a book that asks the next natural question: once you've been inspired by what's possible, how do you actually make change happen in the organization you lead right now?

“Leading Change” by John Kotter is one of the most influential leadership books of the last thirty years, and for local government leaders, it lands with unusual precision. The constraints are real. The political environment is complicated. The urgency that drives change in the private sector doesn't arrive on its own in your sector.

Kotter's framework is the map for building it anyway.

Learn More: https://haltingwinter.com/mldc-leading-change/
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If you lead in local government and you're not yet inside the MLDC, join us for the final months of 2026 and unlock a special bonus: haltingwinter.com/mldc

Halting Winter

What prepares someone to become a great city manager?For Jennifer Wills, it wasn't following a traditional career path. ...
08/27/2026

What prepares someone to become a great city manager?

For Jennifer Wills, it wasn't following a traditional career path. Her journey took her from wilderness expeditions in Patagonia and Alaska to nearly two decades in Parks & Recreation before becoming the City Manager of Longview, Washington.

In this episode, we explore how those experiences shaped her leadership philosophy and why she believes creating great communities starts with creating places where people belong.

Whether you're a city manager, department director, elected official, or someone passionate about strengthening your community, you'll find practical leadership lessons throughout this conversation.

Listen to Episode 377: https://haltingwinter.com/hwp-jennifer-wills/
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Sponsor Highlight: Tyler Technologies, Inc.
Great leadership requires both innovation and resilience. Access free resources on AI, budgeting, and organizational readiness from Tyler Technologies at TylerTech.com/WINTER.

Halting Winter

Charlie Bush, City Administrator in Sedro-Woolley, WA, would add something else to that list: intentionally choosing har...
08/25/2026

Charlie Bush, City Administrator in Sedro-Woolley, WA, would add something else to that list: intentionally choosing hard things.

In episode 376 of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Charlie returns to share the lessons he learned while hiking one of the most demanding sections of the Pacific Crest Trail. While the backdrop is breathtaking, the conversation isn't really about hiking…it's about leadership.

We explore why stepping away from work can actually make you better at it, how difficult experiences build resilience, why trusting your team matters, and how gaining perspective outside the office can change the way you lead inside it.

If you enjoyed Charlie's first appearance on the podcast (Episode 115), you're going to love this next conversation.

Listen Here: https://haltingwinter.com/hwp-charlie-bush/
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Sponsor Highlight: Tyler Technologies, Inc.
What does AI actually look like in local government? Explore free resources and real-world examples from Tyler Technologies at TylerTech.com/WINTER.

Halting Winter

We're closing out our special Summer Series this week with Ryan Holiday's “The Obstacle Is the Way.” Business leaders lo...
08/24/2026

We're closing out our special Summer Series this week with Ryan Holiday's “The Obstacle Is the Way.”

Business leaders love it. Coaches love it. Yet few have talked about what its insights mean specifically for local government professionals.

We're changing that this week inside the MLDC.

The central idea is this: the budget shortfall, the difficult council relationship, the inherited dysfunction…these aren't interruptions to your leadership. They are your leadership. The obstacle isn't IN the way. It IS the way.

All week, members receive daily articles, daily podcast episodes, and a conversation guide built around this book and this specific context to help you put it into practice.

Learn what Stoic philosophy actually looks like when you're a city manager sitting across from a hostile council member, or a department head working a $3 million problem in a $14 million gap.

More here: https://haltingwinter.com/mldc-obstacle-is-the-way/
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The MLDC Summer Series: 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴
Unlock daily leadership content and the community of local government leaders from across North America --> [www.haltingwinter.com/mldc]

Halting Winter

What if one of the most important leadership skills isn't managing people…it's managing yourself?Today on The HaltingWin...
08/20/2026

What if one of the most important leadership skills isn't managing people…it's managing yourself?

Today on The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with India Adams-Jacobs, Town Manager of Bowling Green, Virginia, for a conversation every local government leader and employee needs to hear.

India has served communities across the country before returning home to lead the town where she grew up. Along the way, she's learned that sustaining a career in public service requires more than hard work…it requires intentionality.

Her advice?

Plan your joy.

Because when leaders fail to take care of themselves, eventually they have less to give everyone else.

We also talk about innovation, AI, mentorship, professional associations, and why every community, regardless of size, deserves exceptional leadership.

Listen Here: https://haltingwinter.com/hwp-india-adams-jacobs/
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Sponsor Highlight: Tyler Technologies, Inc.
AI isn't coming to local government…it's already here. Learn how communities are using AI to reduce repetitive work and create capacity at TylerTech.com/WINTER

Halting Winter

How do you grow a community without losing what makes it special?That's the question at the heart of the conversation be...
08/18/2026

How do you grow a community without losing what makes it special?

That's the question at the heart of the conversation between Seth Winterhalter and today’s podcast guest, Britt Lusk, City Manager of Pilot Point, Texas.

Before Britt discovered local government, he worked in foster care, education, manufacturing, mental health, human resources, and nonprofit leadership. Every stop along the way prepared him for the leadership role he holds today.

In this episode, we discuss:�
• Finding your purpose in public service�
• Why mentorship matters�
• Leading through rapid community growth�
• Protecting a city's identity while preparing for its future�
• Building trust through relationships and communication

Whether you're a city manager, department director, elected official, or simply passionate about building stronger communities, we hope you'll enjoy this conversation.

Episode 373 of The HaltingWinter Podcast is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you listen.

Listen Here: https://haltingwinter.com/hwp-britt-lusk/
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Sponsor Highlight: Tyler Technologies, Inc.
Local government leaders are being asked to do more with less every day. Tyler Technologies offers free resources to help your organization work smarter and stay prepared for what's next. Learn more at TylerTech.com/WINTER.

Halting Winter

Have you ever stopped to ask where your beliefs actually came from?This week inside the MLDC, we're reading “Educated” b...
08/17/2026

Have you ever stopped to ask where your beliefs actually came from?

This week inside the MLDC, we're reading “Educated” by Tara Westover, and it's one of the most unexpectedly powerful books we've brought into our special Summer Series.

Westover grew up in a survivalist family in rural Idaho. No school. No outside world. Just one version of reality, handed to her by her father, accepted without question, all because from inside her reality, there was nothing else to see or know.

What she eventually did with that realization, including her journey from that mountain to Cambridge and a PhD, is remarkable. But it's what her story reveals about the beliefs we all lead from without examining them that makes this book so valuable for local government leaders.

Most of you inherited more of your leadership than you realize. The assumptions, the norms, the unspoken rules about how things work here. They arrived without labels. You took them as truth.

This week we're asking: what would change if you actually examined them?

More Here: https://haltingwinter.com/mldc-educated/
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The MLDC Summer Series: 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴
Unlock daily leadership content and the community of local government leaders from across North America --> [www.haltingwinter.com/mldc]

Halting Winter

Change is one of the hardest responsibilities in local government.Whether you're improving culture, implementing new ini...
08/13/2026

Change is one of the hardest responsibilities in local government.

Whether you're improving culture, implementing new initiatives, or navigating political challenges, lasting transformation doesn't happen because people are told to change.

It happens because they trust the people leading it.

That's one of the biggest takeaways from my conversation with Al Vanderberg, County Administrator of Kent County, Michigan.

Al shares stories from nearly 40 years in public service, offering practical wisdom on leadership, communication, culture, and building organizations where people genuinely want to do great work.

If you serve in local government or simply care about strong leadership, I think you'll really enjoy this episode.

Listen Here: https://haltingwinter.com/hwp-al-vanderberg/
——
Sponsor Highlight: Tyler Technologies, Inc.
AI isn't coming to local government…it's already here. Learn how communities are using AI to reduce repetitive work and create capacity at TylerTech.com/WINTER.

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