Stephanie Hirsch: The Systems and the Souls: How Municipal Leadership Bridges Data and Humanity

Episode 252 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

What happens when a brilliant data-driven mind decides that logic alone can't solve human problems?

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Stephanie Hirsch, City Manager of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to explore the rare intersection of intellect, empathy, and public service.

From growing up just a mile from Eau Claire City Hall to serving as its city manager decades later, Stephanie's journey spans rural Georgia, Boston's City Hall, and the streets of Philadelphia during the AIDS and crack epidemics. Along the way, she's learned one profound truth: government works best when systems and souls are aligned.

Her story is both analytical and deeply human, showing how data, incentives, and performance must ultimately serve people, not processes.

• The heartbreaking inefficiency of government service delivery and what it takes to fix it.

• Why aligned incentives matter more than good intentions in creating public impact.

• Lessons from working in communities shaped by race, class, and history and how empathy changes leadership.

• The difference between "old-school doers" and "new-school data" and why cities need both.

• How longevity and professionalism can create cultures of excellence in local government.

• Why knocking on doors and listening might be the most powerful leadership act of all.

Show Some Love for Our Sponsor

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

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

Enrico Villegas: From Manual Labor to Municipal Leadership: The Journey from Doing to Leading

Episode 251 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

What does it take to go from digging trenches in the summer heat to leading a full-service city?

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter explores the remarkable journey of Enrico Villegas, City Manager of Hutchinson, Kansas, and a story defined by grit, curiosity, and the courage to keep learning when no one's handing you the answers.

From growing up in a small Iowa town to teaching English in Japan, from late-night study sessions at "the University of Google" to managing multimillion-dollar public works projects, Enrico's story is a masterclass in building leadership the hard way and the right way.

We dive into:

• Adversity as a teacher: How a tough upbringing and manual-labor jobs shaped Enrico's resilience and work ethic.

• Curiosity as a catalyst: Why self-education and endless questioning opened doors that formal credentials never could.

• The turning point: How a landscaping job, a six-foot trench, and a photo became a lifelong reminder of perspective.

• From technician to city manager: The leap from project inspector to public works to the city's top seat and what it really takes to lead people, not just projects.

• Redefining neighborhood improvement: How Hutchinson is tackling blight, revitalizing streets, and restoring civic pride.

• Leadership philosophy: Why Enrico believes real progress begins when you stop playing it safe and start leading with conviction.

Show Some Love for Our Sponsor

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

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

Show Notes: Book of the Week – Crucial Conversations
Episode 250 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

You know the conversation needs to happen. The underperforming department head. The contentious council member. The angry community meeting. But you're not sure how to navigate it without making things worse.

In this week's MLDC Book of the Week episode, Seth Winterhalter explores Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzer, translating its insights specifically for local government leaders navigating limited authority, maximum accountability, and constant political complexity.

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: Crucial Conversations
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

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

David Dillner: From Feral Cats to $100 Million Deals: The Beautiful Chaos of City Management

Episode 249 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

What do you do when your neighboring city walks away from the biggest economic development project in state history and the future of your community hangs in the balance?

For David Dillner, City Manager of El Dorado, Kansas, the answer came down to resilience, readiness, and a quiet kind of courage.

In this conversation, David shares his journey from a small-town Kansas upbringing and pharmacy camp dropout to becoming the first city administrator of Edgerton, just in time to navigate a political storm that nearly derailed a $100 million BNSF intermodal project. His story is a masterclass in what it really takes to lead when the stakes are high, politics are volatile, and the unexpected (like feral cats) always finds its way onto the agenda.

We explore:

• How a small-town website project sparked a career in city management

• The real value of internships and fellowships in shaping future leaders

• Failing forward: the budget presentation disaster that taught David to lead under pressure

• Resilience in the face of politics and what happens when years of work are overturned overnight

• The $100 million turnaround: how a well-timed annexation saved a major development

• Why nostalgia can kill a city, and how leaders can help communities embrace change

• The irony of leadership: approving transformative projects one minute and debating feral cats the next

Show Some Love for Our Sponsor

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

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

Paula Schumacher: From Intern to Administrator: The Power of Staying, Serving, and Shaping What Lasts

Episode 248 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

What does it look like to build a career and a legacy in the same community for more than three decades?

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Paula Schumacher, Village Administrator of Bartlett, Illinois, to explore a story rarely heard in local government: one of staying. From starting as a basement intern to leading the entire organization today, Paula's journey is a masterclass in patience, purpose, and the long game of public service.

They talk about how one generous mentor changed the direction of her life, what it means to lead through rapid growth, and how stability and culture are built one relationship at a time. Paula also opens up about surviving breast cancer, leading with intention, and finding grace in the ebb and flow between life and leadership.

Together, they unpack the pivotal moments and lessons that define her leadership story:

The conversation that changed everything: how a single phone call with a city manager introduced Paula to local government.

The "internship that never ended": how she grew with Bartlett through three decades of transformation from 13,000 to 40,000 residents.

Leadership that lasts: why consistency, collaboration, and humility matter more than speed or scale.

The internship revolution: how Bartlett's high school and college internship programs are shaping the next generation of municipal leaders.

The myth of balance: Paula's honest reflection on thriving through cancer, caregiving, and leadership without losing yourself.

Building the bench: why mentoring and modeling grace may be the most important leadership legacy of all.

Show Some Love for Our Sponsor

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

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

Show Notes: Book of the Week – The Coaching Habit
Episode 247 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

This week in the MLDC, Seth Winterhalter introduces "The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever" by Michael Bungay Stanier, and it's one of the best-selling coaching books of this century for a reason. Drawing on research with over 10,000 managers, Seth explores why the instinct to immediately provide answers might actually be undermining your leadership effectiveness.

Discover how advice-giving creates three destructive patterns: over-dependent teams that wait for your direction, overwhelming workloads as you become the bottleneck for every decision, and disconnection from real organizational challenges as you focus on fixing symptoms instead of understanding root causes.

This week in the Municipal Leadership Development Collective (MLDC), we're diving deep into seven powerful questions that can transform how city managers, county administrators, and department heads lead their teams. Seth explains how asking the right questions at the right time can help you gather better information, develop your team's problem-solving capability, and focus your expertise where it's most needed.

If you've been feeling overwhelmed by constant problem-solving, if your team seems overly dependent on you, or if you're working harder than ever but feeling less effective, this episode offers a path forward.

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: The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier
• MLDC Info: www.haltingwinter.com/mldc

Connect with Seth

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

Tansy Hayward: The Power of a Day: The Transformational Power of Mentorship in Public Service

Episode 245 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

What if one day could change the entire trajectory of your life and your city?

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Tansy Hayward, City Manager of Thornton, Colorado, to explore how a single day shadowing an assistant city manager ignited a lifelong calling to public service. From her small-town roots in rural Kansas to leading one of Colorado's fastest-growing cities, Tansy's journey is a powerful reminder of the role mentorship, access, and courage play in shaping the next generation of local government leaders.

Together, they unpack the pivotal moments and lessons that define her leadership story:

• How one shadowing experience revealed the purpose and pace of city management.

• The power of mentors like Susan Sherman and John Nalbandian, who opened doors and shaped her path.

• Why leaders shouldn't be shields but bridges, inviting others into the real, unfiltered work of leadership.

• Rebuilding trust after crisis in Tacoma, Washington, and the courage to lead through tension and uncertainty.

• Finding identity and growth across regions—from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest to the Southeast—and what that diversity taught her about culture, community, and leadership.

Through every chapter, Tansy's story reminds us that transformation often begins with access and that leadership is less about being in control and more about being available.

Show Some Love for Our Sponsor

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

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

Episode 245 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

What happens when an NFL player trades the gridiron for city hall and discovers his true calling in public service?

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Ifo Pili, City Manager of West Valley City, Utah, whose extraordinary journey from professional football to local government reveals what it really takes to build thriving cities and authentic culture.

Born and raised in American Samoa, Ifo's story is shaped by a legacy of service. His father's words—"It's not OK to stand on the side and watch"—set him on a path that would eventually lead from the locker room to the city manager's office.

When chaos hit the City of Eagle Mountain, a young intern was unexpectedly thrust into leadership and turned down an NFL contract to stay and serve. What followed was a remarkable municipal career defined by purpose, growth, and heart.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• From Samoa to the NFL: How early lessons in service and sacrifice shaped a leader.

• The Intern Who Became City Manager: How crisis created calling in local government.

• Choosing Purpose Over Paychecks: Why Ifo walked away from professional football to build cities.

• Building the Firsts: From grocery stores to Google, how Eagle Mountain grew from a town of 250 to 70,000.

• Culture with Cariño: The story behind the Spanish word that transformed an entire city's identity.

• Leading Through People, Not Titles: How frontline employees became the heart of culture change.

• Falling in Love with Your City: Why emotional connection is the foundation of effective leadership.

Show Some Love for Our Sponsor

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

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