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.
When Kevin Phelps arrived in Glendale, Arizona in 2016, he inherited a city the Wall Street Journal had described as in “worse financial straits than any city except Detroit.” Today, Glendale boasts nearly $300 million in reserves, hasn’t raised property taxes in eight years, and is home to a booming entertainment district featuring some of the Southwest’s most exciting developments.
How did this remarkable transformation happen?
In the latest episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, host Seth Winterhalter sits down with Dawn Peters, a transformative figure in municipal leadership development who serves as Executive Director for both the Illinois and Wisconsin City and County Management Associations.
In this week’s episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, we explore the remarkable journey of a leader who transformed county government in Maine and built a legacy of collaboration spanning four decades.
Many great municipal leaders trace their path back to a defining childhood moment. For Peter Crichton, it was attending town meetings in Mars Hill, Maine (population under 2,000) with his father at the tender age of eight. These early exposures to local democracy planted seeds that would flourish into a remarkable 40-year career in public service.
In the latest episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, host Seth Winterhalter sits down with Shawna Davis, City Administrator of Odessa, Missouri, for a conversation that reveals both the challenges and rewards of municipal leadership in small communities.
In episode 166 of The HaltingWinter Podcast, host Seth Winterhalter sits down with David Cline, whose extraordinary career in municipal leadership includes surprising encounters with undercover operations and transforming some of Washington state’s most challenged neighborhoods.
In an era where cities face increasingly complex challenges with limited resources, finding innovative solutions has never been more critical. Yet, many municipalities struggle with bureaucratic inertia and siloed departments that stifle creativity. Jimmy Liles, City Administrator of Nixa, Missouri, has developed a refreshingly effective approach that’s earning national attention.
In the northernmost reaches of Maine, a small border town of just 2,000 people is experiencing a renaissance that defies the typical narrative of rural decline. At the helm of this transformation is Luke Dyer, Town Manager of Van Buren, whose journey from police sergeant to municipal leader offers valuable lessons for communities of all sizes.
What does it take to lead your hometown through multiple disasters while simultaneously transforming it into a destination with unique attractions and robust economic development? Our latest podcast episode explores this question with Brent Buerck, City Administrator of Perryville, Missouri, who has done exactly that.
What does it take to lead a city with deep ties to American nuclear history? How can municipal leaders build thriving organizational cultures while maintaining a healthy work-life balance? Our latest podcast episode dives into these questions and more with Jon Amundson, City Manager of Richland, Washington.
What happens when the daughter of a county manager declares she wants nothing to do with local government, only to find herself serving as an interim city manager years later? This unexpected journey forms the heart of our conversation with Kristen Dorman, Assistant City Manager of Warrensburg, Missouri, in Episode 158 of The HaltingWinter Podcast.
