The HaltingWinter Podcast

Travis Coenen: Leading Where Everyone Knows Your Name
Building Systems That Turn Small-Town Pressures Into Sustainable Growth
*]: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 302 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
What does leadership look like when everyone in town knows you and isn't afraid to tell you what they think?
In this episode, Seth sits down with Travis Coenen, Village Administrator of Wrightstown, Wisconsin, to explore the weight and reward of leading in a small community. From growing up in a town of 1,200 people to overseeing its expansion to more than 4,000 residents, Travis shares how intentional systems, transparent communication, and long-term stewardship transformed both infrastructure and community trust.
Before becoming an administrator, Travis worked in utility construction, served as a wastewater operator, and was once told he wouldn't even make the interview process for Director of Public Works. He applied anyway.
This conversation is a reminder that local government isn't small work; it's personal, visible, and generational.
If you lead in a community where your reputation lives next door, this episode is for you.
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

Brian Heck: Thick Skin, Soft Heart
Absorbing Criticism While Building Communities That Last
*]: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 301 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
What does it take to lead in local government for nearly four decades?
In this episode, Seth sits down with Brian Heck, City Administrator of Montgomery, Minnesota, who was recently named one of the Top 10 City Administrators for 2026. After 38 years serving in city, county, and state government, and now preparing for retirement, Brian reflects on the realities few people see behind the title.
He shares candidly about being fired twice, learning resilience the hard way, and discovering that city managers are "all interim…it just depends on how long."
From rebuilding infrastructure and restructuring failing utility finances to revitalizing a historic downtown, Brian walks through the long-game work of municipal leadership: work that rarely makes headlines but shapes communities for generations.
He also speaks honestly about the personal cost of constant availability, the lesson of putting the oxygen mask on yourself first, and why thick skin must be paired with a soft heart.
Leadership in a small city isn't glamorous. It isn't always secure. It won't make you wealthy.
But it can make you impactful.
And if you do it well, you leave your community stronger than you found it.
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 – Essentialism
Episode 300 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
_*]:min-w-0 gap-3"> This week inside the Municipal Leadership Development Circle, we're exploring Greg McKeown's "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less," and it will challenge everything you think you know about effective leadership.
In this episode, Seth Winterhalter introduces the core concepts from Essentialism and why they matter specifically for local government leaders. If you're exhausted from trying to do everything, drowning in good opportunities, and spread too thin to make meaningful progress on anything, this book offers a radically different approach.


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: Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
Connect with Seth Winterhalter
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Abbie Ogborn: Leading Before You Feel Ready
Growth, Grit, and Guiding a Small City Through Big Change
*]: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 299 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
Abbie Ogborn didn't set out to become a city manager.
She started as a softball umpire in her hometown of Wright City, Missouri. From there, she moved into the parks department, accounts payable, and in February 2020, she was sworn in as the City Clerk.
Three weeks later, City Hall shut its doors.
In this episode, Abbie shares what it was like to step into leadership just before the pandemic and how the crisis accelerated modernization, strengthened regional partnerships, and reshaped how her city serves its residents.
Now serving as both City Manager and City Clerk, Abbie is helping guide Wright City through one of the most significant growth seasons in its history. With nearly 1,900 residential units approved and major infrastructure changes underway, including the expansion of Interstate 70, the pressure to plan well, protect identity, and prepare for the future is right in front of her.
This is a conversation about stepping up when the opportunity arrives, even if you don't feel completely prepared.
It's about learning fast. Listening well. And building a city that can carry its future.
If you lead in local government, especially in a growing community, this episode will feel familiar and encouraging.
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

Craig Honeycutt: Why Compromise Isn't Weakness
The Emotional Resilience Required to Lead in Local Government
*]: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 298 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
After more than three decades in municipal leadership, serving as town manager, city manager, county manager, and ultimately retiring as City Manager of Burlington, North Carolina, Craig Honeycutt has learned something many leaders only discover the hard way:
Compromise is not weakness. And criticism is rarely personal.
In this conversation, Craig reflects on a career built from the ground up, starting in small communities, learning operations firsthand, navigating political transitions, leading through natural disasters, and managing in an increasingly polarized climate.
He shares why local government is truly the infrastructure of daily life…why young leaders should start small and "do everything," and why emotional resilience is the defining trait of successful managers today.
This episode is a masterclass in steady leadership, especially in a time when incivility and polarization are testing public servants across the country.
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