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 your community. Each episode provides actionable advice to help you thrive in the unique landscape of municipal leadership. Whether you're a seasoned city manager or new to municipal leadership, this podcast is your resource for personal and professional growth. Tune in and join our mission of making stronger cities through stronger leaders.

  1. 3D AGO

    329: Justin Hopkins: Before the Tap Runs Dry

    Justin Hopkins: Before the Tap Runs Dry What Leaders Need to Know About Growth, Scarcity, and the Future of Water *]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "7f0aa905-d803-4481-9e44-c1a088a011df" data-testid= "conversation-turn-12" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> Episode 329 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies Most people don't think about water…until they have to. But behind every faucet, every development project, and every growing community is a system under pressure and one that most residents will never see. In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Justin Hopkins, General Manager of the Stockton East Water District, to pull back the curtain on the complex world of water in local government. From aging infrastructure and groundwater depletion to regulatory pressure and explosive growth, Justin shares what it actually takes to keep water flowing and what happens when the math no longer works. As communities continue to expand and resources become more constrained, the conversation around water is no longer just operational; it's strategic. And for local leaders, it's becoming one of the defining challenges of the next generation. This episode also highlights Drinking Water Week (May 3–9, 2026), an initiative led by the American Water Works Association to recognize the essential role water professionals play in protecting public health and supporting thriving communities. If you're a city manager, department head, or public sector leader navigating growth, infrastructure, or long-term planning, this is a conversation you can't afford to ignore. Sponsored by: Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a global community for local government leaders who want ongoing support, practical insights, and a trusted peer network to help them lead with clarity and conviction. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC Connect with Seth Winterhalter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

    1h 30m

  2. 5D AGO

    328: Lisa Garcia: Not Just a Clerk

    Lisa Garcia: Not Just a Clerk The Leadership, Influence, and Impact Behind the Title *]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "7f0aa905-d803-4481-9e44-c1a088a011df" data-testid= "conversation-turn-12" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> Episode 328 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies May 3 through May 9, 2026, marks the 57th Annual Professional Municipal Clerks Week, and there's no better time to shine a light on one of the most essential and often overlooked roles in local government. In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Lisa Garcia, Clerk and Deputy Manager for the Town of Florence, Arizona, whose 30+ year career tells a story most people never hear, but every community depends on. From her early days navigating uncertainty to becoming a nationally recognized leader and past president of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC), Lisa shares what it really means to serve at the center of local government. This conversation goes far beyond the title. You'll hear: Why the municipal clerk role is far more than most people realize How local government leaders grow into roles they were never fully prepared for The power of mentorship, community, and continuous learning What transparency actually looks like behind the scenes How communication—and lack of it—shapes public trust The rising challenge of incivility and what leaders can do about it Why local government is not just a job, but a calling Lisa also shares one of the most practical leadership exercises you'll hear all year, something every leader should be doing, but almost no one is. This week, take a moment to recognize and thank the municipal clerks in your community...the ones working behind the scenes to bring order, transparency, and continuity to the work that keeps our cities running. Sponsored by: Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a global community for local government leaders who want ongoing support, practical insights, and a trusted peer network to help them lead with clarity and conviction. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC Connect with Seth Winterhalter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

    1h 11m

  3. 6D AGO

    327: Book of the Week: Five Dysfunctions of a Team

    Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Episode 327 of The HaltingWinter Podcast _*]:min-w-0 gap-3"> Most leadership teams look functional on the surface. Meetings happen. Decisions get made. People stay professional. But if your most important initiatives keep stalling, if the hard conversations keep happening everywhere except the room where they need to happen, and if you've quietly become the only person holding the whole operation together, the problem probably isn't strategy, budget, or staffing. It's the team. In this week's MLDC book, we dig into Patrick Lencioni's The Five Dysfunctions of a Team — one of the most important leadership books written in the last two decades — and run it straight through the realities of local government. Lencioni's model is built on a five-layer pyramid, and every layer compounds on the one below it. Absent trust produces conflict avoidance. Conflict avoidance produces shallow commitment. Shallow commitment kills peer accountability. And without accountability, teams drift toward protecting their own corner of the organization instead of delivering for the community they serve. Every one of those dysfunctions hits differently when you're operating in a fishbowl, managing directors who've been in their seats longer than you've been their manager, and navigating elected oversight that can turn an internal disagreement into a public agenda item. 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/MLDC Resources Mentioned Book: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni Connect with Seth Winterhalter LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

    5 min

  4. APR 30

    326: Chase Bruton: Earning Respect, Not Demanding It

    Chase Bruton: Earning Respect, Not Demanding It How Jiu-Jitsu Shapes Leadership in an Increasingly Uncivil World *]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "7f0aa905-d803-4481-9e44-c1a088a011df" data-testid= "conversation-turn-12" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> Episode 326 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies What does Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu have to do with running a town? More than you'd think. In this episode, Town Manager Chase Bruton (Yorktown, Indiana) shares how lessons from the mat—patience, positioning, and staying composed under pressure—have shaped the way he leads in local government. Because in a role where you're navigating public scrutiny, internal dynamics, and rising incivility, force doesn't work. Presence does. Chase reflects on stepping into leadership at a young age, learning to earn trust without relying on authority, and why the most effective leaders don't stay behind a desk; they get out into the community and meet people where they are. From managing day-to-day operations to responding in moments of crisis, this conversation is a grounded look at what leadership actually requires when there's no playbook and no easy wins. If you're leading in today's environment—or preparing to—this episode will challenge how you think about respect, resilience, and what it really means to show up. Sponsored by: Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a global community for local government leaders who want ongoing support, practical insights, and a trusted peer network to help them lead with clarity and conviction. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC Connect with Seth Winterhalter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

    1h 20m

  5. APR 28

    325: Matthew von der Hayden: The Leadership Gap No One Is Fixing

    Matthew von der Hayden: The Leadership Gap No One Is Fixing When Technical Experts Are Thrown Into Leadership Unprepared *]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "7f0aa905-d803-4481-9e44-c1a088a011df" data-testid= "conversation-turn-12" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> Episode 325 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies *]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:f5d404f8-ca3d-4963-9292-ba5aa2b18872-7" data-testid= "conversation-turn-16" data-scroll-anchor="false" data-turn= "assistant"> Most leaders in local government aren't struggling because they lack effort. They're struggling because they were promoted for their skills and never properly trained to lead people. In this episode, Matthew von der Hayden, Township Administrator of Stafford, New Jersey, and one of the National Academy of Public Administration's 250 Public Service Champions, shares his unconventional path from chemist to city hall, and what it taught him about the real leadership gap facing local government today. We talk about the tension between managing the day-to-day and leading for the long-term, why infrastructure decisions no one sees matter the most, and how communication—not policy—is often the starting point for culture change. Matthew also pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to run a modern municipality: long-range planning, cross-department alignment, building trust with staff and elected officials, and making decisions that impact thousands of lives, often without recognition. Sponsored by: Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Download their latest e-book on AI for FREE at https://tylertech.com/winter The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is built for local government leaders who were promoted for their skills, but never specifically trained to lead people. It's the development center for leaders across the nation who serve in all types and sizes of local government organizations. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC Connect with Seth Winterhalter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

    1h 18m

  6. APR 27

    324: Book of the Week: Never Split the Difference

    Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – Never Split the Difference Episode 324 of The HaltingWinter Podcast _*]:min-w-0 gap-3"> Most local government leaders walk into their hardest conversations armed with data, logic, and well-prepared arguments and still walk out without what they needed. In this episode, Seth Winterhalter introduces this week's MLDC book of the week: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss, a former lead FBI hostage negotiator and founder of The Black Swan Group. Voss spent 24 years negotiating in life-or-death situations, and what he learned turned conventional negotiation wisdom on its head. His core argument: people don't make decisions based on logic. They make decisions based on emotion...and the leaders who understand that get better outcomes in every difficult conversation, from council chambers to union halls to community meetings. This episode breaks down why Voss's framework is unusually powerful for local government leaders, what the book's central reframe means in practice, and how the MLDC is helping members apply these ideas to the specific pressures and constraints of public service leadership. If you want to go deeper on this week's content (daily podcast episodes, implementation guides, and the full framework translated into the local government context), head over to HaltingWinter.com/MLDC to learn more about the MLDC. 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/MLDC Resources Mentioned Book: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss Connect with Seth Winterhalter LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

    5 min

  7. APR 23

    323: Helen Ramirez: Built in Silos, Stuck in Complexity

    Helen Ramirez: Built in Silos, Stuck in Complexity Why Projects Stall, Teams Disconnect, and Progress Slows *]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "7f0aa905-d803-4481-9e44-c1a088a011df" data-testid= "conversation-turn-12" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> Episode 323 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies Local government doesn't lack effort. It doesn't lack talent. And it certainly doesn't lack good ideas. So why do so many projects stall? Why do teams struggle to stay aligned? And why does progress feel slower than it should? In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Helen Ramirez, former City Manager of Brownsville, Texas, and now Director of Economic & Local Business Development in San Marcos, to unpack what's really happening behind the scenes. From managing rapid growth and leading through crisis to breaking down silos and building true cross-department collaboration, Helen shares what it actually takes to move a city forward when complexity is unavoidable. Sponsored by: Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a global community for local government leaders who want ongoing support, practical insights, and a trusted peer network to help them lead with clarity and conviction. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC Connect with Seth Winterhalter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

    1h 24m

  8. APR 21

    322: Jesse Muniz: The Budget Translation Problem

    Jesse Muñiz: The Budget Translation Problem Why Local Government Struggles to Translate Spending into Impact *]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "7f0aa905-d803-4481-9e44-c1a088a011df" data-testid= "conversation-turn-12" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> Episode 322 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies Local government leaders don't lack data. They lack clarity on what that data actually means. In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Jesse Muñiz, Head of Customer Success at Tyler Technologies, to unpack a challenge hiding in plain sight: Most leaders struggle to clearly explain where their money is going or what impact it's actually creating. Not because they're unqualified, but because the system wasn't built for clarity. Jesse shares his journey from auditing local governments to working inside the City of Albuquerque, and now helping cities across the country rethink how they understand, communicate, and align their budgets with what truly matters. This conversation moves beyond theory and into a practical shift: From funding departments to investing in the services that actually drive outcomes. Learn more about Priority Based Budgeting here: TylerTech.com/WINTER Sponsored by: Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a global community for local government leaders who want ongoing support, practical insights, and a trusted peer network to help them lead with clarity and conviction. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC Connect with Seth Winterhalter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

    1h 17m
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About

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 your community. Each episode provides actionable advice to help you thrive in the unique landscape of municipal leadership. Whether you're a seasoned city manager or new to municipal leadership, this podcast is your resource for personal and professional growth. Tune in and join our mission of making stronger cities through stronger leaders.

Information

  • Creator
    Seth Winterhalter
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    331
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    The HaltingWinter Podcast

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