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 degenerative eye condition, Bret leads with a clarity many fully sighted leaders never reach. But his disability isn’t the whole story—it’s just the lens through which he’s built a career defined by smart risk-taking, servant leadership, and a refusal to play small.

From transforming Napa County’s investment returns to challenging the stagnation he inherited in Suisun City, Bret speaks openly about failure, fear, and what public sector leaders must embrace if they want to serve their communities with impact.

This conversation is for every municipal leader who’s tired of being stuck and ready to move boldly, even in uncertainty.

Episode Highlights:

• From Private Sector to Public Impact Bret shares how his background in golf retail taught him to think like an entrepreneur, but with a public mission

• Redefining Risk in Local Government Why playing it safe has a hidden cost and how opportunity cost is the real threat to innovation

• “Protect the Fall, Don’t Prevent It” Bret’s mentorship model encourages risk, protects integrity, and builds resilient leaders

• How Legal Blindness Changed His Leadership Style The vulnerability, urgency, and clarity that came from losing his physical sight but gaining a sharper vision for public service

• Turning Failure into Permission to Try Again A story of a failed corrections tech rollout, and how owning the mistake actually built trust with leadership

• Why Fear-Based Government Is Failing Communities Bret calls out the risk-aversion that paralyzes progress and urges leaders to take smart, strategic leaps

• Leading a City in Catch-Up Mode Bret reflects on Suisun City’s need for speed, change, and renewed vision—and why urgency isn’t panic, it’s responsibility

Connect with Bret Prebula

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bret-prebula

Connect With Seth Winterhalter

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

About HaltingWinter Municipal Solutions: We help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient cultures through transformative keynotes, workshops, coaching, and community. Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

Seth's Upcoming Keynotes:

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

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

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

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