The HaltingWinter Podcast

Bret Prebula: Leading Through Resistance Why Long-Term City Building Requires Courage, Clarity, and Conviction Episode 273 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies In this special episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth reconnects with Bret Prebula, City Manager of Suisun City, California, before revisiting one of the most compelling leadership stories ever shared on the show. Bret's original appearance in Episode 182 explored his unconventional path into city management, his willingness to take calculated risks, and his belief that local government must move beyond maintenance mode to truly serve future generations. Since that conversation, Bret's leadership has been tested on a much larger stage. In this brief catch-up conversation, Seth and Bret discuss what it looks like to lead transformational change amid public resistance, emotional volatility, and national-level attention. Bret shares how Suisun City is navigating historic annexation efforts, polarized community response, and the personal cost of leading boldly when the pressure is real. Following the update, we replay Episode 182 in full—because the insights shared then are even more relevant now. Sponsored by: Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software designed specifically for the public sector. Learn more at tylertech.com/winter The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a global community for local government leaders who want ongoing support, practical insights, and a trusted peer network to help them lead with clarity and conviction. Learn more at haltingwinter.com/MLDC Connect with Seth Winterhalter LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Max Fisher: Finding the Calling Why the Future of City Management Depends on How We Develop Emerging Leaders Episode 272 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies What does it take to discover a calling to local government, and how do today's leaders shape whether the next generation steps forward or walks away? In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Max Fisher, an MPA student and Assistant to the City Manager's Office in Levelland, Texas, whose journey into city management challenges common assumptions about leadership, experience, and preparation. Max didn't set out to become a city manager. He set out to study history, law, and political theory. But along the way—through internships, mentorship, small-city experience, and hands-on exposure to the real work of local government—he discovered something deeper: a calling to steward places and serve people. This conversation is as much a message to seasoned city managers and department heads as it is to emerging professionals. Max offers a rare, honest look at how internships, visibility, mentorship, and intentional development either ignite passion—or quietly extinguish it. Sponsored by: Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software designed specifically for the public sector. Learn more at tylertech.com/winter Connect with Seth Winterhalter LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – The Art of PossibilityEpisode 271 of The HaltingWinter Podcast What story are you telling yourself about your biggest leadership challenge right now? That your council is impossible? That your budget situation is hopeless? That your community won't support what needs to happen? Those stories feel like facts. They feel like reality. But what if they're just frames you've created, and those frames are defining what you see as possible? This week in the MLDC, we're exploring The Art of Possibility by Benjamin Zander and Rosamund Stone Zander. In this episode, Seth Winterhalter introduces the book's core concepts and invites you to join a community of local government leaders who are committed to leading from possibility instead of just managing scarcity. Because the constraints are real, but the meaning you make of them is invented. Join the MLDC for the Complete 5-Part Series The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a network of local government leaders from across North America, including city/county managers, administrators, and department heads, giving you access to:       ✔ A weekly podcast series breaking down one book for municipal applications      ✔ Daily blog reflections and implementation tools      ✔ Our live, weekly, virtual mastermind session      ✔ Monthly webinars with relevant training from local gov leaders ➡ Learn more at www.HaltingWinter.com/MLDC Resources Mentioned Book: The Art of Possibility by Benjamin and Rosamund Stone Zander MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc Connect with Seth LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Intashan Chowdhury: The Young Disruptor Rethinking Risk, Reinventing Culture, and Redefining What's Possible in Local Gov Episode 270 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies What happens when the youngest city manager in New Jersey refuses to accept "the way it's always been done"? You get a leader like Intashan Chowdhury—curious, principled, resilient, and unafraid to push the boundaries of what local government can be. In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Intashan, who shares his journey from a Bangladeshi-American immigrant household in Patterson, NJ, to becoming Borough Administrator of Englewood Cliffs. His story is one of early opportunity, relentless curiosity, and the kind of mentorship that shapes a career and a person. Sponsored by: Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software designed specifically for the public sector. Learn more at tylertech.com/winter Connect with Seth Winterhalter LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Jenny Haruyama: High Stakes, Human Stories Balancing Politics, People, and Progress in Municipal Leadership Episode 269 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Jenny Haruyama, City Manager of Beaverton, Oregon, a leader shaped by public service, grounded in humility, and forged through some of the most complex governance and organizational transitions a city can face. Jenny's story spans California and Oregon, from part-time recreation roles to negotiating cable franchise agreements, navigating redevelopment dissolution, leading through the Great Recession, managing grand jury findings, and ultimately stepping into the city manager's chair in her hometown—all before taking on one of the most ambitious government transformations in the Pacific Northwest. This conversation is a masterclass in the real work of city management: balancing politics and personalities, protecting organizational stability, leading teams through uncertainty, and staying grounded in the human side of public service. Sponsored by: Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software designed specifically for the public sector. Learn more at tylertech.com/winter Connect with Seth Winterhalter LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter Website: www.HaltingWinter.com