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

• 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

• 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