Show Notes: Ryan Pelletier: The View from Both Sides of the Table: Building Trust Between Cities and Counties

Episode 221 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Zencity

Overview

In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Ryan Pelletier, a leader who has navigated nearly every seat in local government, from small-town manager to county administrator. With decades of experience serving rural communities, he offers a rare perspective on how to bridge the tension between cities and counties and turn competition into collaboration.

From wearing every hat in a one-person town office to leading a county with dozens of municipalities, his journey is packed with lessons on trust-building, shared services, and the practical realities of leadership at every level.

Episode Highlights:

• Wearing Every Hat: Why starting in a tiny town office can be the best leadership training.

• Beyond Borders: Leading in a community where international lines are part of everyday life.

• Trust as Currency: How to earn buy-in from elected officials, department heads, and neighboring jurisdictions.

• Shared Solutions: Turning costly, fragmented systems into regional wins that save money and improve service.

• The Long Game: How to lead for lasting impact in a short-term political world.

Whether you're managing a small department, running a city, or working at the county level, this episode offers practical strategies for building partnerships, navigating politics without partisanship, and finding common ground where it matters most—serving your community.

Connect with Ryan Pelletier

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-pelletier

About Our Sponsor: Zencity

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is made possible by Zencity—a trusted partner to hundreds of local governments around the world.

Zencity is a software that enables local government leaders to gather, understand, and act on resident feedback, going beyond the "same ten people" to actually reach residents where they're at, and incorporate that feedback into decisions large and small. To learn more about how Zencity is helping turn data into action and insight into impact:

Learn more at Zencity.io

Connect with Seth Winterhalter:

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

About HaltingWinter Municipal Solutions

At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Municipal Leadership.

Learn more at HaltingWinter.com

Seth's Upcoming Keynotes:

2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo September 23-26 | Owensboro, KY Details at KLC

ELGL 2025 Conference | Camp Govlife October 1-3 | Santa Rose, CA Details at ELGL

2025 City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar November 12-14 | Los Angeles, CA Details at CalCities

2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference December 3-5 | Manhattan, KS Details at KCMA