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 communities she serves.

From stepping into planning and clerking roles without formal training to building full-time EMS/fire services in a city that had long relied on volunteers, Rebecca’s story is a masterclass in the kind of leadership that local government demands: practical, people-focused, and profoundly personal.

We talk about what it means to lead in a mid-sized city with limited resources, how to build trust with staff and residents alike, and the emotional weight that comes with being the one in the chair when no one else will step up.

If you’ve ever juggled multiple hats in a small or mid-sized city, fought for a referendum, or wondered how to keep going when a major project falls through, this conversation is for you.

Episode Highlights:

A Reluctant Leader Finds Her Way: How Rebecca’s journey from “reluctant leader” to city manager began with internships, encouragement, and saying yes to the roles no one else would take.

Planning, Clerking, and Everything In Between: The power of learning on the job and how wearing multiple hats shaped her ability to lead from the center.

EMS Reform That Changed Everything: Why Rebecca took a leap of faith to break an EMS contract before the referendum passed and how that risk paid off.

When Development Deals Fall Apart: The emotional and professional cost of investing two years in a housing project that never happened and why Rebecca kept pushing forward anyway.

Collaboration Over Competition: How Fort Atkinson benefits from regional partnerships and why economic development is a shared mission, not a solo act.

Leadership in the Shadows: What most people never see about the long, lonely, and meaningful work of city management.

Connect with Rebecca Houseman

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-houseman

WCMA: www.wcma-wi.org

Connect with Seth Winterhalter:

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

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

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual 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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