The HaltingWinter Podcast

Jordan Villwock: The Culture Advantage
How Ontario Became America's Top Local Government Workplace
*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "7f0aa905-d803-4481-9e44-c1a088a011df" data-testid= "conversation-turn-12" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> Episode 340 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
What does it take to build a workplace where people want to stay, grow, and lead?
In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Jordan Villwock, Deputy City Manager for the City of Ontario, California, to explore the leadership, culture, and intentional employee development practices that helped Ontario earn recognition as the #1 local government workplace in America among organizations with 1,000–2,500 employees.
Jordan's journey into local government began as a police dispatcher in Laguna Beach before evolving into roles in emergency management, fire administration, and executive leadership. Along the way, he discovered a passion for developing people, strengthening organizations, and creating systems that help both employees and communities thrive.
Together, Seth and Jordan discuss the realities of emergency management, leading through growth, succession planning, employee engagement, and the practical steps Ontario has taken to build a culture that employees are proud to be part of.
They talk about:
How Ontario became a nationally recognized top workplace
Why culture is built through consistency, communication, and intentionality
The role strategic planning plays in organizational alignment
How Ontario's leadership development programs are preparing the next generation of municipal leaders
Why succession planning can no longer be an afterthought in local government
The importance of breaking down silos and building collaboration across departments
Lessons learned from a career spanning dispatch, emergency management, fire administration, and executive leadership
Why employee development is one of the most important investments a city can make
Whether you're a city manager, department director, emerging leader, or someone passionate about building stronger organizations, this conversation offers practical ideas for creating a workplace where people can do their best work and grow into their full potential.
About Jordan Villwock
Jordan Villwock serves as Deputy City Manager for the City of Ontario, California. During his local government career, he has served in public safety, emergency management, fire administration, and executive leadership roles. He is also an adjunct professor in emergency management and was recently recognized by ELGL as a 2026 Top Influencer in Local Government.
 
Sponsored by:
Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://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 https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC
Connect with Seth Winterhalter
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – Unreasonable Hospitality
Episode 339 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
_*]:min-w-0 gap-3"> _*]:min-w-0 gap-3"> What separates a competent organization from one that people actually trust? It's not efficiency. It's not accuracy. It's not even innovation.


_*]:min-w-0 gap-3"> According to Will Guidara, former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park (once named the best restaurant in the world), the answer is hospitality. And there's a critical difference between hospitality and service that most leaders have never stopped to consider.


_*]:min-w-0 gap-3"> In this episode, Seth Winterhalter continues a 3-month series inside the MLDC focused on organizational culture by exploring the central ideas from Guidara's Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect and making the case for why this book belongs on every local government leader's desk.


_*]:min-w-0 gap-3"> Local government is extraordinarily good at service delivery. But service alone doesn't build trust. This episode explores what does and why the answer is both more demanding and more achievable than most leaders expect.




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: Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guiadara
Connect with Seth Winterhalter
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Leonard Hernandez: More Than Books and Buildings
How Libraries and Counties Create Community
*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "7f0aa905-d803-4481-9e44-c1a088a011df" data-testid= "conversation-turn-12" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> Episode 338 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
What do libraries, museums, parks, and county government have in common? Far more than most people realize.
In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Leonard Hernandez (County Manager in Thurston County, Washington) to explore the often unseen role counties play in shaping thriving communities and how public spaces like libraries can become some of the most powerful tools for connection, learning, and belonging.
Leonard shares his remarkable journey from shelving books as a library page in Southern California to leading one of Washington State's fastest-growing counties. Along the way, the conversation dives into the evolution of libraries from quiet book repositories into vibrant community hubs, the importance of collaboration across local government, and the small moments of encouragement that can change the trajectory of a person's life and leadership.
They also unpack:
Why counties are one of the most misunderstood levels of government
How local government can foster belonging through public spaces
The connection between literacy, opportunity, and community outcomes
What the pandemic revealed about communication and collaboration in government
Why curiosity and creativity are essential leadership skills
How Thurston County is navigating growth, regional partnership, and the future of community development
This is a thoughtful and inspiring conversation about the invisible work local government does every day to hold communities together.
 
Sponsored by:
Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://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 https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC
Connect with Seth Winterhalter
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

Mike Winder: The City Hall People Actually Want to Visit
Rethinking Community, Communication, and Civic Trust
*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "7f0aa905-d803-4481-9e44-c1a088a011df" data-testid= "conversation-turn-12" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> Episode 337 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
What if City Hall became one of the most engaging places in the community instead of one of the most intimidating?
In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth sits down with Mike Winder—recently recognized as one of America's 250 Public Service Champions—to explore how local government can move beyond simply delivering services and begin intentionally creating belonging, trust, and community connection.
Mike shares his unconventional journey from growing up in a fifth-generation dairy family to serving as a city councilmember, mayor, state legislator, economic development director, and ultimately city manager of one of Utah's newest cities.
Together, they discuss:
Why local government is still the most impactful level of government
How cities can foster belonging in an increasingly disconnected culture
The importance of storytelling and communication in rebuilding civic trust
Why City Hall should feel welcoming, engaging, and alive
The creation of Millcreek Common and a City Hall designed as a true community destination
How intentional culture-building strengthens both organizations and communities
Practical ways local leaders can create connection without massive budgets
The challenge of leadership boundaries and protecting personal well-being in public service
This conversation is filled with practical ideas, hopeful vision, and a refreshing reminder that local government still has the power to shape everyday life in meaningful ways.
Sponsored by:
Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://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 https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC
Connect with Seth Winterhalter
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – An Everyone Culture
Episode 336 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
_*]:min-w-0 gap-3"> Most local government leaders will tell you they're committed to developing their people. And they mean it. But in An Everyone Culture, Harvard researchers Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey make a case that confronts the reality facing most leaders: the way nearly every organization is built — including yours — is quietly working against the very development you're trying to create.
The culprit is what Kegan and Lahey call the second job. It's the invisible work your people are doing on top of their actual job — covering weaknesses, managing impressions, performing competence for the council, for peers, for the public. Nobody assigned it. Nobody talks about it. But it's happening in your organization right now, and it's draining the energy and capacity your team needs to do their best work.
In this episode, Seth Winterhalter unpacks the central idea behind Kegan and Lahey's Deliberately Developmental Organization (DDO), a workplace where growth isn't a program or a perk, but the way the organization actually runs. He walks through what that means specifically in the context of local government, where civil service systems, elected oversight, and public scrutiny create real barriers to the kind of culture the book describes and why those barriers make the work more urgent, not less.


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: An Everyone Culture by Robert Kegan & Lisa Lahey
Connect with Seth Winterhalter
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com