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 242 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
When hundreds of Kentucky’s city leaders came together for the Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference, the energy in the room was unmistakable. Mayors, clerks, and administrators gathered not just for sessions and speeches, but to connect, share stories, and remind each other why local government matters.
Episode 241 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
What if the utility billing clerk became the city’s CEO?
That’s not a hypothetical; it’s Amber Vogan’s story. And it’s one every municipal leader should hear.
Episode 239 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity
What does leadership look like when tragedy strikes?
For Ghida Neukirch, City Manager of Highland Park, Illinois, that question became more than hypothetical on July 4, 2022, when a mass shooting devastated her community during its annual parade.
In Episode 239 of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Ghida shares her remarkable journey, from fleeing civil war as a child to leading through one of the darkest days in Highland Park’s history, and the lessons she carries for every city manager and local government leader.
Episode 238 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity and Tyler Technologies
City management is often described in terms of budgets, ordinances, and long-term planning. But those who’ve sat in the chair know the reality is far more volatile: power struggles, political pressure, and crises that erupt with no warning.
In Episode 238 of The HaltingWinter Podcast, we sit down with Lori Curtis Luther, City Manager of Overland Park, Kansas, to hear the unfiltered truth of leading a city when the spotlight turns harsh and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Episode 236 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity
Most city managers don’t set out to become city managers. For Lee Feldman, it started as a summer internship and a gopher job in a city manager’s office in North Miami Beach. He had no idea at the time that it would lead to a career spanning four decades, four major cities, and a term as ICMA President.
But Lee’s story isn’t just about longevity. It’s about knowing when to say yes to opportunity…and when to walk away.
Episode 235 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity
Most city managers will tell you they never planned on ending up in their role. For Kiel Mangus, City Manager of Derby, Kansas, that couldn’t be more true. His career began with what was supposed to be a short internship in economic development. On his first day, the director went on maternity leave. Suddenly, Kiel was fielding calls, learning on the fly, and realizing just how much local government shapes everyday life.
Episode 224 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity and Tyler Technologies
When most people picture a city manager, they imagine someone who came up through planning, finance, or administration. Rarely do they imagine a firefighter.
But for Sean Grayson, City Manager of Nevada City, California, the path to municipal leadership started in a firehouse.
Episode 232 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity and Tyler Technologies
What happens when a leader trades the efficiency-driven pace of private law for the people-centered, transparency-driven reality of local government?
That’s the journey of Regan Bolli. In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Regan shares how a difficult transition from “bottom-line first” to “people first” became the defining shift of his career and the culture of an entire city.
Episode 230 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity and Tyler Technologies
What happens when you’ve spent your entire career building and protecting the city you grew up in, only to face the challenge of handing it over to the next generation?
That’s the story of William “Buzzy” Newman, former city manager and now assistant city manager of Henderson, Kentucky. His leadership journey is anything but conventional. From being the son of a six-term mayor, to leading Henderson through economic transformation, social unrest, and the chaos of COVID, Buzzy embodies what it means to lead with courage, honesty, and a love for community.
Episode 229 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity and Tyler Technologies
Most municipal leaders learn their craft in boardrooms, classrooms, or city council chambers. Jason Monroe learned his in burning buildings and on the back of an ambulance.
Before becoming City Manager of Frankfort, Kentucky, Jason spent more than two decades as a firefighter and paramedic. His career path was anything but conventional, beginning with an EMT class he took on a whim, leading to years of public safety service, and ultimately landing him in the city’s top leadership role.
