The HaltingWinter Podcast

Show Notes: Daron Jordan: Grants, Grit, and the Quiet Wins That Build Cities

Episode 205 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Zencity

Overview

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Daron Jordan, City Manager of Paducah, Kentucky, to explore a career that started poolside and led all the way to the city manager's seat. From selling boat stickers as a teenager to becoming the first full-time program and aquatics director in his hometown, Daron's story is a masterclass in how local government leaders are formed, not in textbooks, but in the trenches.

Daron opens up about the emotional toll of early leadership, the challenge of always being "on," and why stepping away from local government for a season was one of the best decisions he ever made. He also dives deep into the underestimated power of grant writing and how smart, strategic funding helped him shape community development across four Kentucky cities.

This is a candid conversation about burnout, bounce-backs, and the real work of rebuilding trust—both inside city hall and out. Whether you're a department head eyeing the next level, a city manager navigating political tension, or someone who still believes in the quiet dignity of public service, Daron's story will encourage you to keep showing up.

Episode Highlights:

The Unlikely Path into Public Leadership From night auditor to aquatics director to city manager—how one man's winding journey prepared him to lead with both toughness and heart.

The First Seat Comes with Fire Daron shares what it was like to become a parks and rec director at 24, managing staff twice his age, and what it taught him about presence and pressure.

Burnout Before the Buzzword A raw look at the emotional cost of leadership and what Daron wishes his younger self had known about boundaries, stress, and family impact.

Grants as Growth Strategy How writing a $2,000 grant for trees turned into a multi-decade career in community development and economic impact.

Why the Quiet Wins Matter Most Patching a pothole or fixing a roof may not make headlines, but Daron explains why these are the wins that define a city's soul.

Leading Through Resistance From "we've always done it this way" to Main Street cuss-outs—what it really takes to lead change in communities afraid of it.

Vision Isn't Enough Why knowing 80% of the picture won't help if your community only sees 15%—and how storytelling becomes the bridge between data and trust.

Connect with Daron Jordan

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/daron-jordan

About Our Sponsor: Zencity

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is proudly sponsored 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, click the link below.

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 24 | Owensboro, KY Details at KLC

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

The MLDC

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Seat with our Summer Special: Join the MLDC

Show Notes: Book of the Week – Reality-Based LeadershipEpisode 204 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Reality-Based Leadership Series) Episode Title: Beyond City Hall Drama: Leading with Reality Instead of Stories

Episode Overview

Your team's energy is being drained by something you can control, but most municipal leaders don't recognize it's happening.

In this kickoff episode of our Reality-Based Leadership series, Seth Winterhalter explores how drama, blame, and resistance consume the energy your organization needs for serving your community. Drawing from Cy Wakeman's helpful research, we discover that the difference between high-performing and struggling municipal teams often comes down to one factor: whether they focus on reality or the stories they tell about reality.

Whether you're dealing with budget constraints, regulatory changes, or council tensions, your team's response to circumstances determines everything. In this episode, we examine why most municipal dysfunction isn't caused by challenging circumstances—it's caused by how people think about challenging circumstances.

Key Takeaways

• Why municipal teams get trapped explaining problems instead of solving them
• How to distinguish between actual circumstances and emotional stories about circumstances
• The hidden cost of drama in municipal organizations and how it spreads between departments
• Why traditional "change management" creates more resistance than results
• How reality-based thinking transforms both team culture and community service delivery

This Week's Journey in the MLDC

• Monday: Introduction to reality vs. story thinking for municipal leaders
• Tuesday–Thursday: Deep dives into eliminating drama, building accountability without blame, and leading change without resistance
• Friday: Virtual Book Club for live conversation and practical reality-based leadership implementation

Join the MLDC: Summer Special

Now is the best time to join the MLDC, giving you access to: ✔ All five episodes breaking down Reality-Based Leadership for municipal applications ✔ Daily blog reflections and emotional intelligence implementation tools ✔ A community of city managers and municipal leaders developing leadership effectiveness ✔ Our live, weekly Virtual Book Club session

➡ Join now at www.HaltingWinter.com

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Reality-Based Leadership by Cy Wakeman
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

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

Show Notes: Wesley Young: From Comfort to Calling: Choosing the Hard Path of Local Impact

Episode 203 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Overview

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter welcomes Wesley Young, City Administrator of Willard, Missouri, for a conversation that's part memoir, part masterclass on finding purpose in public service.

Wesley's journey spans continents, careers, and courageous decisions, from growing up in England and overcoming dyslexia to building a life of service in the American Midwest. Along the way, he chose the hard path: leaving the safety of state government for the unpredictable frontlines of local leadership.

Whether you're in the early days of your public service career or decades in, this episode will remind you why the work matters. It's about grit, gratitude, and the quiet power of doing the right thing—especially when no one's watching.

Episode Highlights:

You Are the Cavalry How stepping into city management—especially in a small town—means wearing every hat and learning to lead without a net.

Legacy Over Ease Why Wesley left the comfort of state employment to chase local impact and how his young son's words confirmed it was the right move.

Underdog Energy From being labeled "lazy" due to dyslexia to writing 22,000 lines of code to improve performance reviews, Wesley shares what it means to prove people wrong and build systems that serve others.

Faith, Family, and the Work That Lasts How personal loss, fatherhood, and a quiet moment in a car shaped the values he brings to city leadership.

Breaking Down Bureaucracy Insightful reflections on the complexity of public infrastructure and the public's perception gap around local government services (like paying $5 for bottled water but resenting a $1 utility rate increase).

A Call to the Next Generation Advice for Gen Z: Don't just point out what's broken—fix it. Wesley shares how change happens from the inside out and why bold ideas belong in city hall.

Connect with Wesley Young

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/wryoungmpa/

About Our Sponsor: Zencity

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is proudly sponsored 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, click the link below.

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 24 | Owensboro, KY Details at KLC

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

The MLDC

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Seat with our Summer Special: Join the MLDC

Show Notes: Rachel Witherspoon: Stewarding Stories and Small-Town Summers - Leading with Heart in Local Government

Episode 202 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Zencity

Overview

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Rachel Witherspoon, the inspiring Village Manager of Pentwater, Michigan—a leader who reminds us that small towns carry big responsibilities, and often, even bigger stories.

From her early fascination with city council meetings as a kid to navigating the dynamic seasonal rhythms of a summer tourist town on Lake Michigan, this is a story of purpose, persistence, and people-centered leadership.

Rachel shares how internships, mentors, and a deep sense of calling helped her discover city management as a career and why roles like "assistant to the village manager" are some of the most transformative in local government. She reflects on what it's like to lead in a village of under 900 residents that swells to 10,000 in the summer, and what it means to steward not just infrastructure, but legacy and memory.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone considering the leap into municipal leadership or trying to rediscover the heart behind the work. Rachel's wisdom—on building trust, setting boundaries, and embracing the call to lead—is as refreshing as a lake breeze in July.

Episode Highlights:

The Power of Showing Up Early How a childhood memory of watching her dad speak at a city council meeting sparked a lifelong love for local government.

The Assistant Seat is Underrated Why being "the assistant to" may be the most growth-filled role in a city organization and why more people should consider it.

Small Town, Big Complexity What it takes to run a village that triples in population every summer, from water systems to police staffing to economic development.

Building Trust When You're the Outsider Rachel shares her intentional efforts to be visible, communicate openly, and become part of the fabric of Pentwater life.

Six Lessons in Nine Months We unpack her viral LinkedIn post that highlights the early lessons of being in the seat, from utilizing your network to celebrating small wins.

Why Local Government Isn't Just a Job—It's a Calling A beautiful reflection on faith, mentorship, and the reminder that people—not just policy—are at the center of the work.

Connect with Rachel Witherspoon

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/spoonrachel/

Rachel's LinkedIn Post on Lessons Learned: https://bit.ly/4knZKXH

About Our Sponsor: Zencity

This episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast is proudly sponsored 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, click the link below.

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 24 | Owensboro, KY Details at KLC

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

The MLDC

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Seat with our Summer Special: Join the MLDC

Show Notes: Book of the Week – The Leadership ChallengeEpisode 201 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Leadership Challenge Series) Episode Title: Five Practices That Transform Municipal Leadership

Episode Overview

Research-backed leadership isn't about charisma or authority—it's about five learnable practices that address your unique municipal challenges.

In this kickoff episode of our The Leadership Challenge series, Seth Winterhalter explores how James Kouzes and Barry Posner's decades of leadership research translates directly to the complex environment of municipal leadership. From managing council dynamics to building departmental collaboration, the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership provide a proven framework for navigating the political pressures and public scrutiny that define your daily leadership reality.

Whether you're struggling with credibility, vision alignment, or organizational culture, these research-based practices offer practical approaches that work within the constraints of local government while building the relationships essential for long-term municipal success.

Key Takeaways

• Why the Five Practices framework seems perfectly designed for municipal environments
• How Model the Way addresses the credibility challenges unique to public sector leadership
• Why Inspire a Shared Vision requires different skills in municipal settings than private organizations
• How Challenge the Process and Enable Others to Act drive innovation within government constraints
• Why Encourage the Heart becomes essential for public service motivation and retention

This Week's Journey in the MLDC

• Monday: The Five Practices framework and municipal leadership credibility
• Tuesday–Thursday: Deep dives into values-based leadership, shared vision creation, and innovation within constraints
• Friday: Virtual Book Club for live conversation and practical leadership implementation tools

Join the MLDC: Summer Special

Now is the best time to join the MLDC, giving you access to: ✔ All five episodes breaking down The Leadership Challenge for municipal contexts ✔ Daily blog reflections and implementation tools ✔ A community of local government leaders developing leadership effectiveness ✔ Our live, weekly Virtual Book Club session

➡ Join now at www.HaltingWinter.com/MLDC

Resources Mentioned

• Book: The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes & Barry Posner
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

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

Show Notes: Eyal Feder-Levy – From Noise to Insight: How Zencity Helps Cities Truly Listen

Episode 200 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Overview

For our 200th episode, we're honored to feature Eyal Feder-Levy, CEO and co-founder of Zencity—a company that's redefining how local governments understand and serve their communities.

Eyal's journey began far from the city halls of the U.S. in the world of urban planning and civic tech in Tel Aviv. What started as a fascination with how cities grow and adapt became a bold mission: help city leaders make better decisions by listening more effectively to their residents.

This episode dives into the heart of that mission. Eyal and Seth explore the real challenges local leaders face—drowning in fragmented data, struggling to cut through the noise, and trying to lead in a world where trust is eroding. And then they get practical—how Zencity's platform takes social media posts, 311 data, open-ended survey responses, and more, and turns it all into real-time insight leaders can use to act.

This isn't just a tech story, it's a leadership story. It's about how listening well might just be the most important skill for every city manager, mayor, or public works director in today's environment.

And yes, it's also the official announcement that Zencity is now the presenting sponsor of The HaltingWinter Podcast. Let's go.

Episode Highlights:

What's Broken in Local Feedback Loops: Eyal shares why traditional resident engagement tools—like town halls and one-way surveys—fail to capture the full picture, and how Zencity is changing that.

Why Listening is a Leadership Superpower: In an era of mistrust and polarization, Eyal explains why it's more important than ever that leaders really hear what their communities are saying, beyond the loudest voices in the room.

From Tech Founder to Municipal Ally: Eyal opens up about his shift from "startup CEO" to "partner in public service," and why Zencity doesn't just want to sell tools—it wants to solve real problems.

Turning Data into Direction: How Zencity helps local governments filter noise, find trends, and make confident decisions, without guessing what their residents want or need.

What Keeps Eyal Up at Night (and What Gives Him Hope): A powerful reflection on the state of democracy, the future of civic leadership, and why he's still optimistic about the role local governments can play.

Connect with Eyal Feder-Levy

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/eyalfeder

Email: [email protected]

About Our Sponsor: Zencity

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

Zencity helps city and county leaders make more confident, community-informed decisions by turning resident input into real-time, actionable insights. Whether it's social media sentiment, 311 calls, or open-ended survey feedback, Zencity distills the noise into clear signals—so local leaders can lead with clarity, not guesswork.

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 24 | Owensboro, KY Details at KLC

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

The MLDC

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Seat with our Summer Special: Join the MLDC

Show Notes: Gabe Reaume – Farm Boy. Fiction Writer. City Manager: An Unconventional Rise to Leadership

Episode 199 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Overview

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Gabe Reaume, City Manager of Saginaw, Texas—a fast-growing city northwest of Fort Worth—whose path into municipal leadership is anything but typical.

Gabe's story begins on a dairy farm in rural Michigan, winds through a nearly abandoned education degree, and takes shape thanks to the advice of an old farmer who suggested city management as a career. What follows is a tale of grit, growth, and grace from hauling livestock and living without a car to working unpaid internships and eventually leading a thriving Texas city.

But Gabe's leadership journey isn't just about policy and budgets; it's also deeply personal. In the midst of rising through the ranks, he found healing and joy through writing, penning both a memoir and a novel while navigating the pressures of public service.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that some of the most impactful leaders come from unexpected places and that creativity, humility, and persistence still matter in local government.

Episode Highlights:

Rooted in Rural Values: Gabe reflects on growing up in a multigenerational farming family and how early lessons in hard work, patience, and practicality continue to shape his leadership today.

No Car, No Salary, No Problem: How volunteering for an unpaid internship while walking to work launched his career and why young professionals should stop waiting for perfect conditions and just show up.

Living with Grandma, Writing a Memoir: The deeply personal story of how moving in with a friend's grandmother became a transformative chapter, one that inspired his first book and shaped his view of life and legacy.

Leading Without a Script: Why city management isn't about being the smartest person in the room, but about serving with humility, embracing the mess, and staying mission-focused.

Creative Outlets and Sustainable Leadership: Gabe opens up about writing as a way to manage stress, stay grounded, and connect with the humanity behind the work.

Connect with Gabe Reaume

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gabe-reaume

Books: Gabe Reaume on Amazon

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 24 | Owensboro, KY Details at KLC

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

The MLDC

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Summer Special and Start Your FREE 7-day trial Join the MLDC

Show Notes: Book of the Week – The Productivity ProjectEpisode 198 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Productivity Project Series) Episode Title: Beyond Busy: Why Municipal Leaders Need to Rethink Productivity

Episode OverviewBeing busy and being productive are not the same thing, and the difference could transform your municipal leadership.

In this kickoff episode of our The Productivity Project series, Seth Winterhalter explores how municipal leaders fall into the dangerous "factory mindset" trap that equates activity with accomplishment. Drawing from Chris Bailey's year-long productivity experiment, we discover that true effectiveness comes from managing three critical resources: your time, your attention, and your energy.

Whether you're juggling council demands, managing department heads, or navigating community crises, your capacity to work strategically rather than reactively determines your impact. In this episode, we examine why working longer hours often produces fewer meaningful results and how to escape the busyness trap that's exhausting municipal leaders nationwide.

Key Takeaways

• How emotional contagion amplifies in high-stakes municipal environments
• Why your stress during budget season affects your entire team's performance
• The connection between emotional regulation and community confidence
• How crisis leadership begins with emotional self-management
• Why traditional "just focus on the facts" approaches fall short in public sector leadership

This Week's Journey in the MLDC

• Monday: The factory mindset trap and why busyness isn't productivity
• Tuesday–Thursday: Deep dives into time management (Rule of Three), attention protection, and energy optimization
• Friday: Virtual Book Club for live conversation and practical productivity implementation tools

Join the MLDC: Summer Special

Now is the best time to join the MLDC, giving you access to: ✔ All five episodes breaking down The Productivity Project for municipal contexts ✔ Daily blog reflections and emotional intelligence implementation tools ✔ A community of city managers and local government leaders developing leadership effectiveness ✔ Our live, weekly Virtual Book Club session

➡ Join now at www.HaltingWinter.com/MLDC

Resources Mentioned

• Book: The Productivity Project by Chris Bailey
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

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

Show Notes: Greg Camp – The Mic, the Mission, and Municipal Leadership: From Radio Waves to City Growth

Episode 197 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Overview

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Greg Camp, City Administrator of Festus, Missouri—a small city just outside St. Louis with a big vision for growth and community.

Greg's path into local government wasn't traditional. In fact, he started behind the microphone as a radio DJ and program director. But after discovering public service when asked to become an elected official and finding joy in the mechanics of municipal impact, he made the leap and never looked back.

With a clear sense of stewardship and a refreshing humility, Greg shares the behind-the-scenes story of how Festus is modernizing infrastructure, navigating regional collaboration, and building a culture where leaders don't just fill the seat—they do the work.

Episode Highlights:

From Broadcasting to the Ballot Box: Greg shares how his career as a radio DJ and program director unexpectedly led him to run for local office and eventually become the mayor of his hometown.

When Vocation Meets Service: Why he chose to leave radio and fully step into city administration, treating leadership not as a job, but as a calling.

BFT: Belief, Faith, and Trust: Greg unpacks his core leadership framework and why trust-building is the most important—and most overlooked—part of municipal work.

Budgeting with Intention: How Festus is investing in infrastructure, modernizing city systems, and aligning dollars with long-term values, not just short-term fixes.

Humility and the Long Game: Why leading with ego is a trap, and how Greg centers his team on culture, stewardship, and quiet effectiveness.

Connect with Greg Camp

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/greg-camp

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 24 | Owensboro, KY Details at KLC

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

The MLDC

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Summer Special and Start Your FREE 7-day trial Join the MLDC

Show Notes: Shawn Bell - Baptized by Fire: Zoning, Growth, and the Power of Local Government

Episode 196 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Overview

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Shawn Bell, City Administrator of Fountain Inn, South Carolina, to explore what it really means to lead through rapid growth, political transition, and natural disaster—all while keeping your team and community grounded.

Shawn's path into city management is anything but traditional. From interning in the Missouri State House to managing campaigns and working in D.C., it wasn't until a professor introduced him to city management that he found the work that felt like home. Now, as the leader of one of South Carolina's fastest-growing cities, Shawn brings a rare blend of political savvy, infrastructure insight, and people-first leadership.

This is a powerful conversation about what happens when population surges outpace your building capacity, when small-town culture meets big-time growth, and why the best local government leaders are those willing to get their hands dirty.

Episode Highlights:

From Politics to Pipes: How a career in campaigns and lobbying led to a love for local government and what Ferguson, Missouri, taught him about the power of proximity.

Baptized by Fire: Shawn recounts his first years in South Carolina local government, learning utility infrastructure, emergency response, and economic development on the job.

Small Towns, Big Challenges: Why starting in a rural city with limited staff taught him more than any textbook and why more MPA grads should do the same.

The Truth About Growth: Fountain Inn's population has nearly doubled in under a decade and how the city's team, zoning approach, and facilities have had to sprint just to keep up.

Serving with Speed: Shawn shares how his "100 MPH" leadership style has helped Fountain Inn stay agile in a region where change isn't always fast—or welcomed.

Public Service Starts with People: Why it's not enough to deliver services—you need to show up for your team, your family, and your community with clarity and care.

Connect with Shawn Bell

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bellieveit

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 24 | Owensboro, KY Details at KLC

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

The MLDC

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is where municipal leaders grow together through weekly podcasts, curated book insights, and a nationwide peer community focused on real leadership, real culture, and real conversations.

Secure Your Summer Special and Start Your FREE 7-day trial Join the MLDC