Show Notes: Sam Toles – Belonging Beats Bureaucracy: What CiviSocial Reveals About Our Civic Crisis Episode 191 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Overview

In this return conversation, Seth Winterhalter welcomes back Sam Toles, CEO of CiviSocial, to explore the ideas behind his new book and a growing movement to rebuild trust, identity, and participation in local government.

Sam’s not just a civic tech founder—he’s a former digital executive (Warner Bros, MGM, Bleacher Report) who now devotes his career to reimagining how communities connect. And what he sees is urgent: a civic crisis driven by disconnection, disillusionment, and a sense that government doesn’t feel personal anymore.

This episode dives deep into the future of civic engagement, the power of belonging, and why municipalities must evolve from broadcasting to co-creating if they want to earn public trust.

This conversation is anchored in Sam’s new book, The Social Media Playbook for City and County Managers—a practical, entertaining guide for local government leaders looking to modernize their approach. Download your free copy

Episode Highlights

The Civic Disconnect Why most Americans feel more emotionally connected to influencers than to their own cities and what that means for trust in local government

Civic Social Capital Defined How Sam’s new book reframes community strength not in demographics or voter turnout but in shared rituals, digital touchpoints, and micro-interactions that build trust

From Transaction to Relationship Why cities must stop optimizing for efficiency alone and start designing systems that feel human, not bureaucratic

The Real Public Square How to rethink public meetings, local apps, and digital engagement platforms to serve as modern civic gathering spaces—not just information dumps

Designing for Belonging What local governments can learn from entertainment, social platforms, and storytelling when it comes to relevance and emotional connection

Hope Through Infrastructure Sam shares what he’s seeing on the front lines—cities experimenting with belonging as infrastructure and local teams hungry for something that works

Connect with Sam Toles

Website: www.civisocial.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/samtoles Grab his new book: The Social Media Playbook for City and County Managers Download your free copy or purchase a paperback copy 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 Leadership.

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 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: Michael Herbert – Second Chances and Stronger Cities: From Addiction to Public Impact

Episode 190 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Overview

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Michael Herbert, Town Manager of Ashland, Massachusetts, for one of the most powerful conversations we’ve had on the podcast to date.

Michael’s story isn’t just about policy or public administration—it’s about personal transformation. From struggling with addiction and homelessness to becoming a respected municipal leader, Michael shares how hitting rock bottom gave him the perspective, resilience, and purpose he now brings to his role every day.

We talk about the long arc of recovery, the slow work of rebuilding a town’s identity, and the courage it takes to lead with transparency even when it’s unpopular.

If you’ve ever wondered how someone’s past can shape their impact or how small towns can create big change, this episode is a must-listen.

Episode Highlights:

From Rock Bottom to Town Hall: Michael opens up about the lowest point in his life and the decision that helped him climb out and into a career of public service.

The Long Game of Leadership: Why real change in local government requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to plant trees you may never sit under.

The Price and Power of Transparency: An honest look at the emotional cost of being open with residents and why Michael believes it’s still worth it.

A New England Perspective: What it means to lead in a “Open-Town-Meeting” form of government, and how tradition shapes leadership expectations in Massachusetts.

Connect with Michael Herbert

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-herbert

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 Leadership. 

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 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 – Dare to Lead

Episode 189 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Dare to Lead Series) Episode Title: Leadership Requires Vulnerability

Episode Overview

If you think leadership is about power and perfection, think again.

In this first episode of our five-part series on Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead, Seth Winterhalter explores the foundational—and often uncomfortable—idea that real leadership begins with vulnerability. In the public sector, where scrutiny is constant and mistakes are public, vulnerability can feel risky. But according to Brown’s research, it’s also the birthplace of innovation, trust, and courageous leadership.

This episode unpacks what vulnerability really is (and isn’t), and how it becomes the foundation for stronger teams, braver conversations, and more resilient cultures in local government.

Key Takeaways

• Why vulnerability is the prerequisite for trust, connection, and accountability

• The difference between oversharing and leading with openness

• How fear of failure and self-protection erode effective leadership

• Why leaders who avoid vulnerability often create cultures of silence and burnout

• How embracing discomfort leads to better decisions and stronger relationships

This Week’s Journey in the MLDC

• Monday: The myth of strength vs. the reality of vulnerability in leadership

• Tuesday–Thursday: Digging into courage, trust-building, and fear-based leadership traps

• Friday: Live Virtual Mastermind – Peer reflection, challenges, and implementation strategies

Free 7-Day MLDC Trial

Join the Municipal Leadership Development Circle and get access to: ✔ All five episodes in the Dare to Lead podcast series ✔ Daily blog reflections and implementation guides ✔ Friday’s national Virtual Book Club ✔ A thriving network of city managers and municipal leaders across the U.S.

➡ Start your free 7-day trial now at HaltingWinter.com/MLDC

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Dare to Lead by Brené Brown

• Learn more: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

• Weekly Newsletter: The Leader’s Lens

Connect with Seth

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

• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Show Notes: Dalton Pierce: Urgency Meets Unity: Learning to Lead Without Leaving People Behind

Episode 188 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Overview

In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Dalton Pierce, City Manager of York, South Carolina, to explore the leadership tensions every municipal executive knows too well: how do you balance the urgency to improve with the patience required to bring people along?

Dalton shares his journey from city planner to city manager, and how that unique path shapes his approach to decision-making, team building, and navigating the political and personal complexities of local government. His insights on culture, hiring, and pace will resonate with leaders at every level—especially those who feel the pull between visionary change and community trust.

Episode Highlights

• Planning Roots, Manager Realities How Dalton’s background in planning helps him hold the long-term vision while managing short-term demands.

• The Pace of People The leadership lesson that transformed his mindset: lasting progress happens at the speed of trust, not the speed of urgency.

• Culture Over Credentials Why hiring people who align with values, not just skillsets, is one of his top priorities as a leader.

• The Isolation of Leadership Dalton reflects on the quiet challenges of being a city manager and why honest conversations with peers can be lifesaving.

• Public Service with a Purpose The difference between checking boxes and creating buy-in—and why your team, not your title, defines your success.

Connect with Dalton Pierce

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dalton-pierce

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 Leadership.

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 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: Will Ibershof: Guts, Growth, and the Greater Good: Leading Through Service in Small-Town Government

Episode 187 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Overview

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Will Ibershof, City Administrator of Madras, Oregon—and former mayor of Duval, Washington—for a conversation that’s as raw as it is inspiring. From throwing up during his first campaign event to building parks, securing grants, and mentoring the next generation of public leaders, Will’s story is a powerful reflection on the real work of local government.

Will opens up about what it takes to lead with courage in small communities—especially through burnout, rapid growth, and the constant push-and-pull between progress and preservation. Whether you're an elected official, a department director, or aspiring to either, this episode offers a front-row seat to the challenges and rewards of leading where you live.

Episode Highlights:

• From Dare to Duty: How a challenge from friends led Will to run for office despite never having attended a council meeting

  Doorbelling and Discomfort: The unforgettable (and stomach-turning) campaign moment that taught him the power of grit and authenticity

  No Administrator, No Problem: What it’s like to serve as an elected mayor and CEO in a city without a city manager or administrator

  Burnout and Regret: A candid look at the personal cost of public service and what Will wishes he had done differently

  Mentorship That Matters: How Will forged a powerful partnership with the City Manager of Bend, Oregon and why big-small city collaboration is a rising-tide strategy

  Rural Growth, Urban Expectations: Lessons from Sultan and Madras, where housing demand, infrastructure realities, and small-town identity collide

  The Heart of Connection: Why events, community grants, and everyday kindness are essential tools for cities battling isolation and division

   

Connect with Will Ibershof:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/willibershof

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 Leadership.

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

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 – "Turn the Ship Around"

Episode 186 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: "Turn the Ship Around" Series) Episode Title: Why Giving Up Control is the Boldest Leadership Move You Can Make

Episode Overview

What if the key to stronger teams isn’t more control, but more trust?

In this opening episode of our 5-part series on Turn the Ship Around by David Marquet, Seth Winterhalter unpacks the transformative concept of “leader-leader” culture. Instead of the traditional “leader-follower” model, where a single person gives orders and everyone else executes, Marquet proposes something radically different: giving up control to create real ownership.

For local government leaders, where decisions are often high-stakes and staff are overextended, this model creates a blueprint for deeper engagement, higher competence, and more strategic thinking across all levels of your team.

Key Takeaways

• Why traditional leadership models limit growth, autonomy, and performance

• The difference between empowerment and actual transfer of control

• How pushing decision-making down creates buy-in and drives initiative

• Why control, clarity, and competence must move together

• The first steps to shifting your culture from passive compliance to active leadership

This Week’s Journey in the MLDC

• Monday: Why control is overrated—and what to replace it with

• Tuesday–Thursday: Building clarity, competence, and initiative at every level

• Friday: From follower to leader—how to multiply leadership across your org

Special: Free 7-Day MLDC Trial

Join the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) this week and unlock: ✔ All 5 podcast episodes from the Turn the Ship Around series ✔ Daily blog reflections and tools for implementation ✔ Friday’s Virtual Mastermind session ✔ Access to a growing nationwide community of local government leaders

➡ Start your free 7-day trial at HaltingWinter.com/MLDC

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Turn the Ship Around by L. David Marquet

• Weekly Blog & Newsletter: The Leader’s Lens

• MLDC Membership Details: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

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

• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Show Notes: Christopher Gilbert – Culture Is the Customer Experience: Leading from the Inside Out

Episode 185 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Overview

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Christopher Gilbert, Township Administrator of Springfield Township, Ohio, to explore how customer service isn’t just a frontline task, it’s a leadership philosophy. With a background in engineering and a passion for systems, Chris shares how he led a cultural shift across the organization that made public service smoother, faster, and more human.

For Chris, the goal isn’t just “better service.” It’s building trust by making every city interaction feel respectful, responsive, and frictionless. This conversation is a masterclass in what it means to lead from the inside out—designing teams, training, and systems that turn municipal values into resident experiences.

Episode Highlights:

• More Than Manners: Why Chris’s customer service initiative focused on culture, not scripts and how that changed everything

• Removing Friction: How Springfield redesigned internal workflows to make city services easier to access and navigate

• Cross-Department Consistency: What it takes to build a shared service philosophy across multiple teams and touchpoints

• Leadership Through Systems: Why good leaders don’t just solve problems—they create structures that solve them over and over

• Transparency as a Trust Strategy: How showing residents what’s happening behind the scenes strengthens public confidence

• From Tactical to Strategic: His journey from city engineer to city manager and how technical skills gave way to people-first thinking

Connect with Christopher Gilbert:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-gilbert

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 Leadership.

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

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: Milton Dohoney Jr. – When the Title Feels Heavy: Leading Through Burdens No One Sees

Episode 184 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Overview

In this vulnerable and deeply reflective episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Milton Dohoney Jr., City Administrator of Ann Arbor, Michigan—a seasoned leader with decades of executive municipal experience and the hard-won wisdom that comes with it.

Milton doesn’t speak in buzzwords. He speaks in truth about the emotional cost of leadership, the isolation that often accompanies it, and the quiet weight leaders carry while holding their communities together. This conversation offers more than professional advice—it’s a powerful reminder of the humanity behind the title.

If you’ve ever felt unseen, stretched thin, or unsure whether the work you’re doing is truly making a difference, this episode is for you.

Episode Highlights

• “I didn’t come to keep the seat warm.” Milton shares what it means to take a leadership role seriously and why forward momentum is a responsibility, not a bonus.

• The Emotional Weight of Leadership From carrying team burdens to managing public pressure, Milton speaks openly about the isolation leaders rarely admit.

• Loneliness at the Top Why leadership doesn’t protect you from struggle and why sharing that truth can actually make you stronger.

• Reclaiming the Identity of Public Service Milton reflects on how the pride and perception of municipal leadership have changed and why it’s time to reignite the mission.

• Presence Over Visibility A subtle but vital distinction: real leaders don’t just show up—they connect, engage, and make people feel seen.

• The Power of Listening and Learning Milton shares how being fully present with residents and staff creates trust and resilience in times of uncertainty.

• Advice for Aspiring and Current Leaders “Don’t seek the title. Seek the transformation you can help bring about.”

Connect with Milton Dohoney Jr.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/milton-dohoney-jr

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 Leadership.

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

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 New Public Service"

Episode 183 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Citizens, Not Customers (Part 1 of 5: "The New Public Service" Series)

Episode Overview

In this opening episode of our latest MLDC series, Seth Winterhalter challenges one of the most common assumptions in local government leadership: that residents are customers and cities are service providers.

Drawing from The New Public Service by Janet and Robert Denhardt, Seth explores how this mindset, while well-intentioned, can unintentionally reduce civic participation, strain trust, and disconnect leadership from the very people it serves. In contrast, a citizen-centered approach invites collaboration, dialogue, and shared responsibility.

This episode will reset your frame and offer practical ways to lead with your community, not just for them.

Key Takeaways

• Residents are not consumers of city services—they are co-creators of community

• Treating people like customers centers transactions; treating them like citizens centers shared values

• “Public interest” isn’t discovered through surveys—it’s shaped through dialogue

• The goal of government isn’t just efficient service—it’s meaningful engagement

• Leadership in this framework shifts from “fixer” to facilitator of shared purpose

• Real trust is built when people feel included early, not just consulted late

This Week’s Journey in the MLDC

Monday: Citizens vs. customers Tuesday: Serving, not steering Wednesday: Valuing people over productivity Thursday: Engagement over control Friday: Integrity and trust as culture-shaping leadership tools

Special: Free 7-Day MLDC Trial

This week only, unlock:

• All 5 podcast episodes in The New Public Service series

• Daily written reflections to help you implement what you’re learning

• Friday’s Virtual Book Club for live peer discussion

• Full access to the MLDC platform + national leadership network → Start your 7-day free trial now at HaltingWinter.com

Resources Mentioned

• Book: The New Public Service by Janet & Robert Denhardt

• MLDC: The Municipal Leadership Development Circle

• Weekly Newsletter: The Leader’s Lens

Connect with Seth

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

• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

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

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.

Start your FREE 7-day trial and get 20% off with code PODCAST Join the MLDC