The HaltingWinter Podcast

Matt Mueller: We Had to Reinvent Our City Every Four Years
Leading Through Explosive Growth from 25,000 to 70,000 Residents
Episode 401 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

What happens when your community grows so quickly that the organization you built just a few years ago can no longer meet its needs?
When Matt Mueller became Town Manager of Little Elm, Texas, in 2012, the community had approximately 25,000 residents. Today, it's approaching 70,000. But managing that kind of explosive growth requires far more than building roads, hiring employees, and expanding services. It requires continually reinventing how an entire municipal organization operates.
In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Matt joins Seth Winterhalter to explore what it takes to lead through extraordinary change. He shares why Little Elm has essentially had to reinvent itself every three to four years, how the demands of growth force leaders to evolve, and why developing the people already inside your organization is just as important as bringing in new talent.
The conversation also explores one of the most challenging transitions in leadership: moving from being the person who gets things done to becoming the person who equips others to succeed. Matt shares why even your highest-performing employees need intentional development before stepping into leadership roles.
Finally, Matt reflects on the mentors who shaped his career and the remarkable ripple effect of investing in the next generation of municipal leaders. From a young lifeguard discovering local government to a town manager helping shape future executives, his story demonstrates how a single opportunity can influence communities for generations.
ICMA Conference Spotlight: Matt was a presenter at the 2026 ICMA Annual Conference in Long Beach for a session titled, Legacy in Motion: Mentoring Through the Ages. Alongside three generations of mentors and mentees, the session explored how leadership lessons, professional relationships, and a commitment to service are passed from one generation to the next. Conference attendees can revisit the session recording for a deeper look at the power of mentorship in local government.
About Matt Mueller
Matt Mueller has served as Town Manager of Little Elm, Texas, since 2012, helping guide the community through a period of extraordinary population growth and organizational transformation. Originally from a small town in Oklahoma, Matt discovered his passion for local government through early municipal employment, internships, and influential mentors. His career has included service with the cities of Edmond, Claremore, and Guthrie, Oklahoma, before moving to Little Elm. With a leadership philosophy grounded in public service, continuous improvement, and developing others, Matt is passionate about strengthening the municipal management profession and preparing the next generation of local government leaders.
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 now 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

Steve Mokrohisky: Culture Doesn't Care What You Say
Why Behaviors Matter More Than Values
Episode 400 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

Every organization has a culture. But it's not defined by the values printed on the wall, the mission statement on the website, or the words leaders use to describe it. Culture is shaped by the behaviors people demonstrate, reinforce, and tolerate every day.
Steve Mokrohisky, County Administrator of Lane County, Oregon, joins Seth Winterhalter to share how he's helped transform a complex public organization of nearly 2,000 employees by moving beyond aspirational values and making organizational culture something employees actually practice.
Drawing from more than 25 years in local government, Steve explores why strategic planning is essential to escaping reactive leadership, how curiosity and humility make executives more effective, and why building an organization that can thrive without you may be the ultimate measure of leadership success.
The conversation also tackles one of the most difficult realities facing city and county managers: navigating disruptive governing body members while maintaining professionalism, organizational stability, and personal integrity.
From employee wellness and organizational trust to leadership succession and work-life alignment, this episode challenges public sector leaders to consider a fundamental question: Does your organization's everyday behavior reflect the culture you say you're building?
Heading to ICMA Long Beach?
Navigating difficult relationships with elected officials is one of the most challenging aspects of professional local government management. In his ICMA Annual Conference education session, "How to Deal with Disruptive Governing Body Members," Steve explores how city and county managers can respond to disruptive governing body behavior, establish healthy governance expectations, and maintain effective leadership when political dynamics threaten organizational stability.
About Steve Mokrohisky
Steve Mokrohisky has served as County Administrator of Lane County, Oregon, since 2014, overseeing a regional government serving approximately 400,000 residents across 5,000 square miles. With more than 25 years in local government, including leadership roles in Wisconsin and Nevada, he has focused on organizational transformation, strategic alignment, and employee well-being. Under his leadership, Lane County has been recognized as Oregon's healthiest large employer for five consecutive years.
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 now 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: Give and Take
Episode 399 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
This week in the MLDC, Seth Winterhalter breaks down Adam Grant's Give and Take, the research-backed case that how you handle reciprocity at work predicts success more than talent or effort alone. Grant's research reveals a surprising pattern: givers show up disproportionately among both the lowest and highest performers in any organization, while takers and matchers cluster safely in the middle. The difference isn't how much you give; it's whether you give with any judgment about your own limits.
For local government leaders especially, this is something to be mindful of. Public service attracts givers by nature, which is a real strength, but also a real burnout risk. Seth unpacks why the leaders who last aren't the ones who give the most in any single crisis or budget cycle, and why one taker on your team can do two to three times more damage than a giver can offset.
The MLDC
Leadership 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

Michael Kovacs: Growth Isn't Free
The Infrastructure Bill Your City Is Quietly Building
Episode 398 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

Growth can look like success. New homes. New businesses. New roads. A growing tax base. But every piece of infrastructure a city builds today creates an obligation someone will have to pay for tomorrow.
In this episode, Seth sits down with Michael Kovacs, City Manager of Fate, Texas, to talk about what it means to build a city that can actually afford its future. Michael shares lessons from a career that has taken him from a small, financially distressed border community to resort towns, coastal communities, disaster recovery in Galveston, and now one of the fastest-growing areas of North Texas. Along the way, he has developed a very different way of thinking about growth, development, infrastructure, and the long-term financial health of a city.
Michael also shares hard-earned lessons from disaster recovery, including why local governments must be prepared to take ownership of the long road back after the immediate response is over.
At the center of the conversation is a bigger question for every local government leader: Are we building communities that future generations can actually afford to maintain?
Heading to ICMA in Long Beach?
Michael will be part of the ICMA education session "Maintaining, Replacing, and Funding Roads: How Much Is Enough?" The session will explore the true long-term cost of maintaining and replacing municipal streets and how communities can begin preparing today for infrastructure expenses that may still be decades away.
About Michael Kovacs
Michael Kovacs is the City Manager of Fate, Texas, where he has served for more than a decade during a period of extraordinary community growth. His experience spans small-town administration, tourism and resort communities, rapid growth, emergency management, disaster recovery, infrastructure, development, and long-term municipal financial planning. Today, Michael is helping Fate think beyond the traditional suburban growth model by focusing on development patterns, infrastructure costs, fiscal sustainability, and what it will take to build a community where people can live for every stage of their lives.
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 now 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

Deborah Stuart: Are You Developing Leaders or Just Promoting Employees?
Rethinking the Leadership Pipeline in Local Government

Episode 397 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

What if the biggest challenge in your leadership pipeline isn't finding better people but preparing the people you already have?
In Episode 397 of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Deborah Stuart, City Manager of Mason, Michigan, to explore what it takes to intentionally develop the next generation of municipal leaders.
Deborah shares how "stay" interviews helped her uncover what employees actually wanted from their careers and where the organization was unintentionally setting talented people up for failure. Being technically excellent at a job doesn't automatically prepare someone to manage people, navigate conflict, oversee budgets, or lead a team.
That realization led Mason to rethink its approach to employee development, creating clearer pathways for advancement and giving employees opportunities to build leadership skills before the next position opens.
Seth and Deborah also discuss why people sometimes need someone else to help them see what's possible, the importance of mentorship in city management, and why economic development is ultimately about relationships, not simply incentives, projects, and data.
Deb's commitment to developing and supporting others has also earned her the Christine Burns Award from Michigan Municipal Executives two years in a row, recognizing her work to support and advance women in the municipal management profession.
About Deborah Stuart
Deborah Stuart serves as City Manager for the City of Mason, Michigan, a role she has held since 2016. Her career includes extensive experience in downtown and economic development at both the local and state levels before moving into city management. She is passionate about developing people from within, creating visible pathways for employee growth, and helping emerging leaders recognize opportunities they may not yet see for themselves.
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 now: 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