The HaltingWinter Podcast

Melissa Marsh: Being Capable Doesn't Mean Carrying It AllHow to Step Up, Speak Up, and Protect Your CapacityEpisode 394 of The HaltingWinter PodcastSponsored by Tyler Technologies

The people who rise in local government are often the ones willing to step up, take on more, and solve problems no one asked them to solve. But what happens when everyone gets so used to you carrying more that they stop noticing how much you're carrying? Melissa Marsh, City Manager of Madison Heights, Michigan, shares how her willingness to raise her hand opened doors throughout her career and why she eventually had to learn to advocate for her own value and protect her capacity.

Melissa and Seth also talk about why high performers can become invisible, making decisions without getting trapped in bureaucracy, taking ownership of your professional development, and setting boundaries at the city manager level. Melissa also shares the story behind Madison Heights' Business Bus Tour and how getting city leaders out of City Hall and into local businesses helped build stronger relationships and trust throughout the community.

About Melissa MarshMelissa Marsh is the City Manager of Madison Heights, Michigan. Beginning her local government career in finance, Melissa steadily expanded her leadership responsibilities across human resources, information technology, library services, and administration before becoming City Manager. Her career reflects a willingness to step up, keep learning, and take on new challenges while building a more connected and responsive organization

If you're attending the ICMA Annual Conference in Long Beach, you can also hear Melissa during the education session "The Road to Trust: How a Business Bus Tour Built Collaboration and Community" on Monday, October 19th.

This Episode is Sponsored by:

Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software and technology solutions built specifically for local government. From artificial intelligence and resident engagement to budgeting, planning, and public service delivery, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently and serve residents more effectively. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC): Leadership shouldn't be carried alone. The MLDC is evolving in 2027 with practical leadership development and new, role-specific Mastermind cohorts designed to build trusted relationships with municipal leaders who understand your challenges. Mastermind applications are open through October 31st at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect With Seth Winterhalter Seth Winterhalter is a keynote speaker, storyteller, and President of HaltingWinter, a national media company dedicated to telling the stories of local government. Through The HaltingWinter Podcast and the nationwide HaltingWinter Tour, he highlights the people and communities shaping America from the ground up, celebrating public servants, strengthening the profession, and inspiring the next generation to pursue lives of purpose and impact through local government.

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

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week: The Anatomy of PeaceEpisode 393 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

This week's book centers on an unlikely pairing: Yusuf, a Palestinian, and Avi, an Israeli, each of whom lost his father to the other side's conflict. Rather than let that history define them, they built a program together for resolving conflicts that seem permanent: the kind where both sides are certain, with real evidence, that they're the reasonable one.

That's the premise behind The Anatomy of Peace, by the Arbinger Institute, and it's a book every local government leader should sit with. The core claim is uncomfortable but hard to argue with: most of the conflicts we think are being caused by the other person are actually being sustained by how we've already decided to see them. Council dynamics, staff conflict, community pushback...these patterns show up everywhere municipal leadership actually happens.

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter gets into why this book landed differently than most leadership reading we've worked through in the MLDC, what the "heart at war vs. heart at peace" distinction actually means in practice, and why the fix isn't a better tactic — it's a different way of seeing the person in front of you. If you've got a relationship at work that's stuck and you can't quite tell whose fault it is, this one's worth your five minutes.

The MLDCLeadership in local government doesn't get easier as you move up. The decisions get harder. The expectations get higher. And the number of people you can openly process those challenges with gets smaller.

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) gives local government leaders a place to keep growing alongside other professionals who understand the complexity of leading in local government.

Inside the MLDC, you'll sharpen how you think, strengthen how you lead, and turn leadership ideas into practical action through:

• Monthly Mastermind Sessions with municipal leaders from across North America • Leadership Development built specifically around the realities of local government • Practical Tools & Resources you can immediately apply with your team and organization • Ongoing Learning designed to keep you growing throughout the year

You spend every day developing your organization, your employees, and your community.

The MLDC is an investment in developing you.

→ Explore the Municipal Leadership Development Circle: https://haltingwinter.com/mldc/

Connect With Seth Winterhalter Seth Winterhalter is a keynote speaker and President of HaltingWinter, a national media company dedicated to telling the stories of local government. Through The HaltingWinter Podcast and the nationwide HaltingWinter Tour, he highlights the people and communities shaping America from the ground up, celebrating public servants, strengthening the profession, and inspiring the next generation to pursue lives of purpose and impact through local government.

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

Meredith Reynolds: When Excellence Becomes the ProblemWhy Great Leaders Have to Learn When Good Enough Is EnoughEpisode 392 of The HaltingWinter PodcastSponsored by Tyler Technologies

For high-achieving leaders, excellence can feel like the standard for everything. But what happens when giving everything your best starts getting in the way of leading well?

In this episode, Seth sits down with Meredith Reynolds, Deputy City Manager for the City of Long Beach, California, for a conversation about perfectionism, capacity, vulnerability, and learning to let go without caring less.

Meredith shares how her career has been shaped by curiosity and a willingness to say yes, including stepping into an unexpected leadership role during COVID that ultimately changed the trajectory of her career. She also opens up about the harder lessons that come with increased responsibility: recognizing that not everything deserves the same amount of energy, being honest when you're not at 100%, and learning that "good enough" can sometimes be excellent leadership.

Seth and Meredith also discuss developing the next generation of local government leaders, the importance of cross-functional experiences, finding joy in public service, and why no one in local government should have to lead alone.

About Meredith ReynoldsMeredith Reynolds serves as Deputy City Manager and Acting Director of Technology & Innovation for the City of Long Beach, California. Her career has spanned sustainability, parks and recreation, innovation, technology, and pandemic recovery. She is also deeply involved with ELGL and co-hosts the GovLove podcast.

If you're attending the ICMA Annual Conference in Long Beach, you can also hear Meredith during the education session "Don't Ask Alice: Advice from Leaders Who Have Learned to Let Go and Not Give AF" on Tuesday, October 20th.

This Episode is Sponsored by:

Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software and technology solutions built specifically for local government. From artificial intelligence and resident engagement to budgeting, planning, and public service delivery, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently and serve residents more effectively. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC): Leadership shouldn't be carried alone. The MLDC is evolving in 2027 with practical leadership development and new, role-specific Mastermind cohorts designed to build trusted relationships with municipal leaders who understand your challenges. Mastermind applications are open through October 31st at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect With Seth Winterhalter Seth Winterhalter is a keynote speaker, storyteller, and President of HaltingWinter, a national media company dedicated to telling the stories of local government. Through The HaltingWinter Podcast and the nationwide HaltingWinter Tour, he highlights the people and communities shaping America from the ground up, celebrating public servants, strengthening the profession, and inspiring the next generation to pursue lives of purpose and impact through local government.

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

Makenzie Lyons: When Your Strengths Become Your WeaknessesWhy Leadership Growth Often Requires a RebootEpisode 391 of The HaltingWinter PodcastSponsored by Tyler Technologies

What if the very strengths that helped you become successful are now holding you back as a leader?

Makenzie Lyons, City Administrator of Winnsboro, Texas, joins Seth to talk about her unconventional journey into local government and the leadership transformation that followed. Makenzie shares how resilience, independence, decisiveness, and control helped her navigate difficult circumstances and advance professionally, but eventually began affecting her ability to build relationships and lead effectively.

A pivotal conversation with her mayor forced Makenzie to consider a difficult possibility: "You might be the problem." That realization began a journey toward greater self-awareness, learning to lead in the gray, changing her response instead of blaming the circumstances, and understanding the patterns beneath her leadership.

Makenzie will also bring this conversation to the ICMA Annual Conference in Long Beach through her session, "Control Alt Delete: How to Do a Leadership Reboot."

About Makenzie LyonsMakenzie Lyons is the City Administrator for Winnsboro, Texas. Her unconventional path into local government has included roles in dispatch, municipal court, banking, and city administration. Known for her resilience and commitment to personal growth, Makenzie is passionate about helping leaders develop the self-awareness needed to build stronger relationships, lead more effectively, and recognize when the behaviors that once served them may be holding them back.

This Episode is Sponsored by:

Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software and technology solutions built specifically for local government. From artificial intelligence and resident engagement to budgeting, planning, and public service delivery, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently and serve residents more effectively. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC): Leadership shouldn't be carried alone. The MLDC is evolving in 2027 with practical leadership development and new, role-specific Mastermind cohorts designed to build trusted relationships with municipal leaders who understand your challenges. Mastermind applications are open through October 31st at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect With Seth Winterhalter Seth Winterhalter is a keynote speaker, storyteller, and President of HaltingWinter, a national media company dedicated to telling the stories of local government. Through The HaltingWinter Podcast and the nationwide HaltingWinter Tour, he highlights the people and communities shaping America from the ground up, celebrating public servants, strengthening the profession, and inspiring the next generation to pursue lives of purpose and impact through local government.

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

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week: The Culture MapEpisode 390 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

When was the last time you walked out of a meeting wondering why a completely reasonable conversation landed so badly with someone else? It might not be personality...it might be culture. In this episode, Seth Winterhalter digs into Erin Meyer's The Culture Map and what her research on cross-cultural business communication reveals about the everyday friction inside local government: the department heads who read each other wrong, the feedback that backfires, the decisions that blow up even when they're technically sound. Local government sits at more of these cultural fault lines than almost any other line of work, and once you can name the pattern, you can navigate it.

The MLDCLeadership in local government doesn't get easier as you move up. The decisions get harder. The expectations get higher. And the number of people you can openly process those challenges with gets smaller.

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) gives local government leaders a place to keep growing alongside other professionals who understand the complexity of leading in local government.

Inside the MLDC, you'll sharpen how you think, strengthen how you lead, and turn leadership ideas into practical action through:

• Monthly Mastermind Sessions with municipal leaders from across North America • Leadership Development built specifically around the realities of local government • Practical Tools & Resources you can immediately apply with your team and organization • Ongoing Learning designed to keep you growing throughout the year

You spend every day developing your organization, your employees, and your community.

The MLDC is an investment in developing you.

→ Explore the Municipal Leadership Development Circle: https://haltingwinter.com/mldc/

Connect With Seth Winterhalter Seth Winterhalter is a keynote speaker and President of HaltingWinter, a national media company dedicated to telling the stories of local government. Through The HaltingWinter Podcast and the nationwide HaltingWinter Tour, he highlights the people and communities shaping America from the ground up, celebrating public servants, strengthening the profession, and inspiring the next generation to pursue lives of purpose and impact through local government.

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

Marketa Oliver: Who Says We Have to Do It That Way?How Creative Leadership Is Changing Local Government

Episode 389 of The HaltingWinter PodcastSponsored by Tyler Technologies

What happens when local government leaders stop asking, "How have we always done it?" and start asking, "What if?"

Marketa Oliver, City Administrator of Bondurant, Iowa, joins Seth to talk about creative leadership, calculated risk, and building community through periods of rapid growth. From economic development and adaptive reuse to technology, AI, and creating a culture where employees have permission to try new things, Marketa shares how local government leaders can challenge assumptions without losing sight of the people they serve.

It's a conversation about innovation in local government, embracing change, and having the courage to imagine a better way.

About Marketa OliverMarketa Oliver is the City Administrator of Bondurant, Iowa, and an experienced local government leader whose career has included leadership roles in Bondurant, Norwalk, and Windsor Heights, as well as service with the State of Iowa. Known for her creative approach to community development, economic development, and organizational leadership, Marketa has helped communities navigate growth while protecting the character and connections that make them unique. She has also taught public finance and budgeting at Drake University and has been recognized multiple times through ICMA's Local Government Excellence Awards.

This Episode is Sponsored by:

Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software and technology solutions built specifically for local government. From artificial intelligence and resident engagement to budgeting, planning, and public service delivery, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently and serve residents more effectively. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) - The MLDC is a private leadership community designed exclusively for local government professionals. Through practical tools, meaningful conversations, and a nationwide network of peers, members gain the support and perspective needed to lead with greater confidence, clarity, and impact. https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect With Seth Winterhalter Seth Winterhalter is a keynote speaker, storyteller, and President of HaltingWinter, a national media company dedicated to telling the stories of local government. Through The HaltingWinter Podcast and the nationwide HaltingWinter Tour, he highlights the people and communities shaping America from the ground up, celebrating public servants, strengthening the profession, and inspiring the next generation to pursue lives of purpose and impact through local government.

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

Mark Jackson: You Can Be Right and Still Get It WrongWhy Municipal Leadership Requires More Than Knowing the Answer

Episode 388 of The HaltingWinter PodcastSponsored by Tyler Technologies

Being right isn't enough.

After more than three decades as a city administrator, Mark Jackson has learned that successful local government leadership requires more than technical expertise. It requires judgment, communication, relationships, and the humility to recognize that you might be wrong.

In this episode, Mark and Seth discuss the art and science of city management, why leaders should "design the system as if you are wrong," how trust creates the ability to move a community forward, and the simple question Mark uses to evaluate difficult decisions: What benefit, for which people, at what cost?

It's a conversation about longevity, decision-making, community relationships, and the lessons that only come from decades of leading in local government.

About Mark JacksonMark Jackson is the City Administrator for Story City, Iowa, where he has served for more than three decades. Throughout his career, Mark has helped lead significant community and economic development efforts while building a reputation for relationship-driven, practical local government leadership. He has also served as president of the Iowa City/County Management Association and is the most recent recipient of the Joe Lukehart Award, presented by the Iowa City/County Management Association in recognition of his contributions to the profession.

This Episode is Sponsored by:

Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software and technology solutions built specifically for local government. From artificial intelligence and resident engagement to budgeting, planning, and public service delivery, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently and serve residents more effectively. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) - The MLDC is a private leadership community designed exclusively for local government professionals. Through practical tools, meaningful conversations, and a nationwide network of peers, members gain the support and perspective needed to lead with greater confidence, clarity, and impact. https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect With Seth Winterhalter Seth Winterhalter is a keynote speaker, storyteller, and President of HaltingWinter, a national media company dedicated to telling the stories of local government. Through The HaltingWinter Podcast and the nationwide HaltingWinter Tour, he highlights the people and communities shaping America from the ground up, celebrating public servants, strengthening the profession, and inspiring the next generation to pursue lives of purpose and impact through local government.

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

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week: The Gap and the GainEpisode 387 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Ever close out a genuinely good year...budget gaps closed, positions filled, a rough council relationship finally on stable ground...and still feel like you're behind? This episode digs into why that happens, and it's not about work ethic or how much you're getting done. It's about which direction you're measuring in.

Dan Sullivan spent three decades coaching entrepreneurs and noticed the same pattern over and over: his most accomplished clients kept measuring themselves against an "ideal" that never stopped moving, which meant almost nobody felt like they were winning, no matter how much they'd actually achieved. Dr. Benjamin Hardy, an organizational psychologist, brings the research behind why that pattern is so costly, not just for motivation but for long-term stress and well-being.

We talk through why this concept, built originally for entrepreneurs chasing revenue targets, may actually hit harder in local government, where the wins rarely come with a scoreboard attached.

The MLDCLeadership in local government doesn't get easier as you move up. The decisions get harder. The expectations get higher. And the number of people you can openly process those challenges with gets smaller.

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) gives local government leaders a place to keep growing alongside other professionals who understand the complexity of leading in local government.

Inside the MLDC, you'll sharpen how you think, strengthen how you lead, and turn leadership ideas into practical action through:

• Monthly Mastermind Sessions with municipal leaders from across North America • Leadership Development built specifically around the realities of local government • Practical Tools & Resources you can immediately apply with your team and organization • Ongoing Learning designed to keep you growing throughout the year

You spend every day developing your organization, your employees, and your community.

The MLDC is an investment in developing you.

→ Explore the Municipal Leadership Development Circle: https://haltingwinter.com/mldc/

Connect With Seth Winterhalter Seth Winterhalter is a keynote speaker and President of HaltingWinter, a national media company dedicated to telling the stories of local government. Through The HaltingWinter Podcast and the nationwide HaltingWinter Tour, he highlights the people and communities shaping America from the ground up, celebrating public servants, strengthening the profession, and inspiring the next generation to pursue lives of purpose and impact through local government.

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

Katie Beemer: Stop Waiting for Someone Else to Solve ItHow Local Leaders Create Momentum in Their Communities

Episode 386 of The HaltingWinter PodcastSponsored by Tyler Technologies

What does it take to create momentum when your community is facing a problem no one person can solve?

Katie Beemer, City Administrator of Fennville, Michigan, joins The HaltingWinter Podcast to talk about building a career in local government, choosing the right community to lead, and using relationships, curiosity, and persistent action to move difficult issues forward.

Katie shares how a single job-shadowing experience introduced her to city management, why professional networks are essential for local government leaders, and how Fennville is navigating major community development challenges following the closure of a longtime industrial facility.

Seth and Katie also discuss attracting the next generation to public service, finding the people who have the answers you need, and why great local government leadership often starts by simply asking, "What's next?"

About Katie BeemerKatie Beemer is the City Administrator of Fennville, Michigan, and a recipient of the Michigan Municipal Executives' New Executive Achievement Award. Her path into city management began with a one-day job-shadowing experience that introduced her to the impact of local government and ultimately led her to earn her MPA and pursue a career in municipal leadership. Katie is an advocate for professional networks, developing the next generation of local government leaders, and finding collaborative solutions to complex community challenges.

This Episode is Sponsored by:

Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software and technology solutions built specifically for local government. From artificial intelligence and resident engagement to budgeting, planning, and public service delivery, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently and serve residents more effectively. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) - The MLDC is a private leadership community designed exclusively for local government professionals. Through practical tools, meaningful conversations, and a nationwide network of peers, members gain the support and perspective needed to lead with greater confidence, clarity, and impact. https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect With Seth Winterhalter Seth Winterhalter is a keynote speaker, storyteller, and President of HaltingWinter, a national media company dedicated to telling the stories of local government. Through The HaltingWinter Podcast and the nationwide HaltingWinter Tour, he highlights the people and communities shaping America from the ground up, celebrating public servants, strengthening the profession, and inspiring the next generation to pursue lives of purpose and impact through local government.

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

Kevin Mizikar: Are You Still Doing Instead of Leading?The Shift Every Local Government Leader Must Make

Episode 385 of The HaltingWinter PodcastSponsored by Tyler Technologies

What happens when the skills that made you successful are no longer the skills your job requires?

For Kevin Mizikar, Town Manager of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, moving from technical roles into organizational leadership meant learning to stop being the person with all the answers and start creating the conditions for other people to succeed.

In this episode, Kevin and Seth explore the critical shift from doing to leading. They discuss why strategic plans should connect all the way down to individual employees, why developing future leaders requires intentional investment, and why professional development becomes more important, not less, as your responsibilities grow.

Kevin also shares lessons from his journey through federal, economic development, and municipal leadership roles, including the failures, mentors, and unexpected opportunities that shaped the leader he is today.

If you've ever been promoted because you were great at the work only to discover that leadership requires an entirely different set of skills, this conversation is for you.

About Kevin MizikarKevin Mizikar is the Town Manager of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, where he has served since 2017. His career has taken him from financial analysis with the U.S. Department of Energy to economic development in New Jersey and municipal management in Massachusetts. Throughout his career, Kevin has remained committed to developing people, strengthening organizations, and investing in the relationships and professional development that help local government leaders grow.

This Episode is Sponsored by:

Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software and technology solutions built specifically for local government. From artificial intelligence and resident engagement to budgeting, planning, and public service delivery, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently and serve residents more effectively. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) - The MLDC is a private leadership community designed exclusively for local government professionals. Through practical tools, meaningful conversations, and a nationwide network of peers, members gain the support and perspective needed to lead with greater confidence, clarity, and impact. https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect With Seth Winterhalter Seth Winterhalter is a keynote speaker, storyteller, and President of HaltingWinter, a national media company dedicated to telling the stories of local government. Through The HaltingWinter Podcast and the nationwide HaltingWinter Tour, he highlights the people and communities shaping America from the ground up, celebrating public servants, strengthening the profession, and inspiring the next generation to pursue lives of purpose and impact through local government.

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