Municipal Leaders: Develop Faster, Lead Stronger, Build Better
Every week, you’ll get insights and actionable steps to help you navigate personal growth and professional success.
Episode 255 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
When José Madrigal arrived in Durango, Colorado in 2020, he stepped into an organization still recovering from the pandemic, from burnout, and from the aftermath of an internal embezzlement that had shaken public trust to its core.
He didn’t walk in with a new mission statement.
He walked in with two words: effort and intent.
Episode 254 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
There’s a moment in every city manager’s career when the work changes.
Not because the budget shifts, or a new project breaks ground but because something forces you to see the world through a new lens.
For Craig Owens, City Manager of Lawrence, Kansas, that moment came years ago while serving in Clayton, Missouri, as the unrest in nearby Ferguson unfolded.
Episode 252 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
When most people think about improving government, they think about efficiency. Better data. Smarter systems. Faster service.
But Stephanie Hirsch has learned that numbers alone don’t change lives—people do.
Episode 251 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
How do you go from digging trenches in 100-degree heat to leading a full-service city of 40,000 people?
For Enrico Villegas, City Manager of Hutchinson, Kansas, the answer lies in grit, growth, and an insatiable will to learn.
Episode 249 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
There’s a certain kind of chaos that only happens in local government.
You can spend months negotiating a $100 million development deal—balancing politics, logistics, and public pressure—and just when the future of your city hangs in the balance, the next agenda item is… feral cats.
Episode 248 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
In a world that celebrates moving on, Paula Schumacher’s story is about the power of staying.
She began as an intern in Bartlett, Illinois, in 1991. Three decades later, she’s the Village Administrator, leading the same community she once served from the basement of Village Hall.
This weekend, thousands of local government professionals will gather in Tampa for the ICMA Annual Conference, where innovation meets service, and leadership meets reality.
As you plan your sessions, here’s your chance to get to know the speakers before you hear them live. Each of the leaders below has been featured on The HaltingWinter Podcast, where they shared the stories, lessons, and insights shaping their work in cities and counties across the country.
Episode 246 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
What if one day could change your entire career?
For Tansy Hayward, City Manager of Thornton, Colorado, that day came when she shadowed a local government leader as a college student and discovered the purpose that would define her life’s work.
Episode 245 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
What would make someone turn down the NFL to serve in local government?
For Ifo Pili, it wasn’t about walking away from football, it was about running toward purpose.
Episode 242 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
National headlines shout about division. Political fights dominate cable news. But when residents turn the faucet, drive on the road, or walk into city hall, they aren’t asking for red or blue solutions; they just want their community to work.
That’s where local government steps in.
