Marketa Oliver: Who Says We Have to Do It That Way?
How Creative Leadership Is Changing Local Government

Episode 389 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

What happens when local government leaders stop asking, "How have we always done it?" and start asking, "What if?"

Marketa Oliver, City Administrator of Bondurant, Iowa, joins Seth to talk about creative leadership, calculated risk, and building community through periods of rapid growth. From economic development and adaptive reuse to technology, AI, and creating a culture where employees have permission to try new things, Marketa shares how local government leaders can challenge assumptions without losing sight of the people they serve.

It's a conversation about innovation in local government, embracing change, and having the courage to imagine a better way.

About Marketa Oliver
Marketa Oliver is the City Administrator of Bondurant, Iowa, and an experienced local government leader whose career has included leadership roles in Bondurant, Norwalk, and Windsor Heights, as well as service with the State of Iowa. Known for her creative approach to community development, economic development, and organizational leadership, Marketa has helped communities navigate growth while protecting the character and connections that make them unique. She has also taught public finance and budgeting at Drake University and has been recognized multiple times through ICMA's Local Government Excellence Awards.

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) - The MLDC is a private leadership community designed exclusively for local government professionals. Through practical tools, meaningful conversations, and a nationwide network of peers, members gain the support and perspective needed to lead with greater confidence, clarity, and impact. 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

Mark Jackson: You Can Be Right and Still Get It Wrong
Why Municipal Leadership Requires More Than Knowing the Answer

Episode 388 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

Being right isn't enough.

After more than three decades as a city administrator, Mark Jackson has learned that successful local government leadership requires more than technical expertise. It requires judgment, communication, relationships, and the humility to recognize that you might be wrong.

In this episode, Mark and Seth discuss the art and science of city management, why leaders should "design the system as if you are wrong," how trust creates the ability to move a community forward, and the simple question Mark uses to evaluate difficult decisions: What benefit, for which people, at what cost?

It's a conversation about longevity, decision-making, community relationships, and the lessons that only come from decades of leading in local government.

About Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson is the City Administrator for Story City, Iowa, where he has served for more than three decades. Throughout his career, Mark has helped lead significant community and economic development efforts while building a reputation for relationship-driven, practical local government leadership. He has also served as president of the Iowa City/County Management Association and is the most recent recipient of the Joe Lukehart Award, presented by the Iowa City/County Management Association in recognition of his contributions to the profession.

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) - The MLDC is a private leadership community designed exclusively for local government professionals. Through practical tools, meaningful conversations, and a nationwide network of peers, members gain the support and perspective needed to lead with greater confidence, clarity, and impact. 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: The Gap and the Gain
Episode 387 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Ever close out a genuinely good year...budget gaps closed, positions filled, a rough council relationship finally on stable ground...and still feel like you're behind? This episode digs into why that happens, and it's not about work ethic or how much you're getting done. It's about which direction you're measuring in.

Dan Sullivan spent three decades coaching entrepreneurs and noticed the same pattern over and over: his most accomplished clients kept measuring themselves against an "ideal" that never stopped moving, which meant almost nobody felt like they were winning, no matter how much they'd actually achieved. Dr. Benjamin Hardy, an organizational psychologist, brings the research behind why that pattern is so costly, not just for motivation but for long-term stress and well-being.

We talk through why this concept, built originally for entrepreneurs chasing revenue targets, may actually hit harder in local government, where the wins rarely come with a scoreboard attached.

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

Katie Beemer: Stop Waiting for Someone Else to Solve It
How Local Leaders Create Momentum in Their Communities

Episode 386 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

What does it take to create momentum when your community is facing a problem no one person can solve?

Katie Beemer, City Administrator of Fennville, Michigan, joins The HaltingWinter Podcast to talk about building a career in local government, choosing the right community to lead, and using relationships, curiosity, and persistent action to move difficult issues forward.

Katie shares how a single job-shadowing experience introduced her to city management, why professional networks are essential for local government leaders, and how Fennville is navigating major community development challenges following the closure of a longtime industrial facility.

Seth and Katie also discuss attracting the next generation to public service, finding the people who have the answers you need, and why great local government leadership often starts by simply asking, "What's next?"

About Katie Beemer
Katie Beemer is the City Administrator of Fennville, Michigan, and a recipient of the Michigan Municipal Executives' New Executive Achievement Award. Her path into city management began with a one-day job-shadowing experience that introduced her to the impact of local government and ultimately led her to earn her MPA and pursue a career in municipal leadership. Katie is an advocate for professional networks, developing the next generation of local government leaders, and finding collaborative solutions to complex community challenges.

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) - The MLDC is a private leadership community designed exclusively for local government professionals. Through practical tools, meaningful conversations, and a nationwide network of peers, members gain the support and perspective needed to lead with greater confidence, clarity, and impact. 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

Kevin Mizikar: Are You Still Doing Instead of Leading?
The Shift Every Local Government Leader Must Make

Episode 385 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

What happens when the skills that made you successful are no longer the skills your job requires?

For Kevin Mizikar, Town Manager of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, moving from technical roles into organizational leadership meant learning to stop being the person with all the answers and start creating the conditions for other people to succeed.

In this episode, Kevin and Seth explore the critical shift from doing to leading. They discuss why strategic plans should connect all the way down to individual employees, why developing future leaders requires intentional investment, and why professional development becomes more important, not less, as your responsibilities grow.

Kevin also shares lessons from his journey through federal, economic development, and municipal leadership roles, including the failures, mentors, and unexpected opportunities that shaped the leader he is today.

If you've ever been promoted because you were great at the work only to discover that leadership requires an entirely different set of skills, this conversation is for you.

About Kevin Mizikar
Kevin Mizikar is the Town Manager of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, where he has served since 2017. His career has taken him from financial analysis with the U.S. Department of Energy to economic development in New Jersey and municipal management in Massachusetts. Throughout his career, Kevin has remained committed to developing people, strengthening organizations, and investing in the relationships and professional development that help local government leaders grow.

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) - The MLDC is a private leadership community designed exclusively for local government professionals. Through practical tools, meaningful conversations, and a nationwide network of peers, members gain the support and perspective needed to lead with greater confidence, clarity, and impact. 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: Atlas of the Heart
Episode 384 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

This week, Seth Winterhalter looks at why local government leadership is an emotional profession that almost nobody trains for and how a lack of precise language for what you're feeling in the moment quietly costs leaders their ability to respond well. The conversation centers on Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown, a researcher who has spent nearly two decades studying vulnerability, shame, courage, and connection, and who maps 87 distinct emotions and experiences in this book.

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

David G. Brown II: Teach Me How This Works
Why Curiosity May Be a Leader's Greatest Advantage

Episode 383 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

David G. Brown II has built a career in local government by being willing to walk into unfamiliar territory and ask a simple question: Teach me how this works.

In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with David, Township Manager for the Township of Ocean, New Jersey, to explore a career that has taken him through economic development, redevelopment, public works, municipal administration, major construction projects, and even the challenges of leading a beach community through COVID.

Along the way, David discovered that great leadership isn't about knowing everything. It's about staying curious enough to learn, driven enough to keep growing, and willing to apply what each new experience teaches you.

David and Seth also discuss why local government careers rarely follow a perfectly straight line. A role that looks like a detour may be adding exactly the skill you'll need later. David describes experiences that gave him capabilities he didn't even realize he had, including project management, and how each opportunity added something new to his leadership toolbox.

The conversation also gets into one of the harder realities of municipal leadership: you can do good work and still lose your job. Political environments change. Elected officials change. Sometimes your position changes with them. But how you conduct yourself through those difficult seasons matters. David knows that firsthand: the mayor who once fired him eventually became the mayor who hired him back.

About David G. Brown II
David G. Brown II serves as Township Manager for the Township of Ocean, New Jersey. His diverse career in public service has spanned municipal administration, economic development, redevelopment, public works, and major community development projects. From discovering public administration through the encouragement of a college professor to leading communities through political transitions, complex projects, and the COVID-19 pandemic, David has built his career by continually embracing new challenges, learning how things work, and adding each experience to his leadership toolbox.

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) - The MLDC is a private leadership community designed exclusively for local government professionals. Through practical tools, meaningful conversations, and a nationwide network of peers, members gain the support and perspective needed to lead with greater confidence, clarity, and impact. 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

Randy Murphy: Leading Without Control
Why Influence Matters More Than Authority

Episode 382 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

What does leadership look like when you realize you were never really in control to begin with?

In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Randy Murphy, City Manager of Solvang, California, for a conversation about influence, resilience, culture, communication, and the lessons learned through a career that has taken almost every imaginable turn in local government.

Randy didn't grow up dreaming of becoming a city manager. In fact, he entered public service nearly by accident, taking a county position because it shortened his commute and gave him more time with his family. But once inside local government, he discovered work that gave him something his private-sector career hadn't: a deep sense of purpose.

Today, as City Manager of Solvang, Randy has helped rebuild an organization following years of leadership turnover, earning recognition from his own staff and peers with the John H. Nail Memorial Award for exceptional leadership.

Seth and Randy discuss why leaders can't overcommunicate difficult decisions, how delaying necessary action often makes the eventual pain worse, why serious work should still be fun, and how trust is rebuilt one relationship at a time.

They also explore one of Randy's most important realizations from both life and leadership: control is largely an illusion. Leaders cannot control every employee, elected official, resident, circumstance, or outcome. What they can control is how they respond and how effectively they influence what happens next.

About Randy Murphy
Randy Murphy is the City Manager of Solvang, California, and a longtime public servant whose career has spanned city and county administration, public works, parks and recreation, and executive leadership. Known for his people-first approach, Randy has helped rebuild trust and culture in Solvang while embracing a leadership philosophy centered on influence, resilience, communication, and finding joy in the work of public service.

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) - The MLDC is a private leadership community designed exclusively for local government professionals. Through practical tools, meaningful conversations, and a nationwide network of peers, members gain the support and perspective needed to lead with greater confidence, clarity, and impact. 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