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

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

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – The Art of Possibility
Episode 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

• 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

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

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – The Second Mountain
Episode 268 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

You've earned the promotions. Built the resume. Gained the respect. So why does something still feel missing?

This week's MLDC book is David Brooks' The Second Mountain, and it addresses the question many accomplished local government leaders are quietly asking: I've achieved success, so why do I still feel empty?

In this episode, we explore what it means to transition from first-mountain to second-mountain leadership, and why that shift matters for local government leaders facing daily pressures while longing for deeper meaning.

Inside the MLDC this week, we're going deeper with daily content exploring the move from career to calling, independence to interdependence, and happiness to joy. Plus a conversation guide to explore these concepts with your team.

Because you can climb the first mountain alone. But the second mountain? You need people roped together with you for that climb.

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 Second Mountain by David Brooks
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

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

Stan Reno: Leading Through the Noise
Navigating Protests, Politics, and Public Pressure

Episode 267 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Stan Reno, City Manager of Carbondale, Illinois, whose leadership journey spans nearly three decades, from patrol officer to narcotics investigator, to police chief, and now to city manager of a university town where national issues often show up on local streets.

Stan's story is a masterclass in modern municipal leadership: humility, decisiveness, transparency, and the ability to remain steady when the community gets loud. Carbondale's history of activism and protest culture makes his experience especially relevant for leaders navigating public pressure, political tension, or emotionally charged environments.

We explore how Stan's law enforcement background shaped his leadership instincts, why transparency earned him the trust of an elected body, and how he approaches protests, community expectations, and the realities of serving a city that never stops evolving. From budget decisions to declining university enrollment to downtown reinvestment, Stan shares the lessons that help him lead with clarity, courage, and a deep love for his hometown.

Sponsored by:

• Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software designed specifically for the public sector. Learn more at tylertech.com/winter

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

Rebecca Grill: Running Toward the Storm
The "Be the Buffalo" Approach to City Management

Episode 266 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

When you meet a city manager who has served inside youth correctional facilities, rebuilt broken licensing systems, modernized city hall after a cybersecurity crisis, and navigated budgets where every dollar feels political, you quickly understand why she talks about leadership the way she does.

In this episode, Rebecca Grill, City Manager of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, shares the story behind her "be the buffalo" leadership mantra: when the storm comes, run toward it.

Rebecca opens up about the early experiences that shaped her resilience, from working with vulnerable youth to responding to neighborhood crises in Milwaukee's housing authority. She reflects on the lessons learned from clerking in high-pressure environments, leading after a 33-year administrator, modernizing systems that were decades behind, and stepping into a true city manager role where public visibility is a daily reality.

We talk about courage, continuous improvement, technology adoption, customer experience, and why real change requires breaking old systems without breaking people. Rebecca also shares candid insights on the unique pressures women face in city management and how she stays grounded when the job demands feel endless.

If you're a city manager, an aspiring leader, or anyone who understands the weight of public service, this episode will encourage you, challenge you, and give you a renewed sense of purpose.

Sponsored by:

• Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software designed specifically for the public sector. Learn more at tylertech.com/winter

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

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – Meditations
Episode 265 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

What can a Roman Emperor from 2,000 years ago teach you about leading through budget battles, difficult council members, and relentless community pressure?

More than you'd think.

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter explores "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius—a leadership book that wasn't supposed to be a book at all. Written in a military tent during active campaigns, it's the personal journal of an emperor who didn't want the job but chose to do it with excellence anyway.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the pressures of local government leadership, wondered if it's worth it, or struggled with things you can't control—this episode is for you.

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

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

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