193: Rebecca Houseman: Reluctant Leader, Relentless Impact: Navigating Referendums, Red Tape, and Real Change
Release Date: 06/24/2025
212: Steve Dalton: Debt-Free Isn’t Growth: Infrastructure, Integrity, and the Impossible Annexation
The HaltingWinter Podcast
Show Notes: Steve Dalton: Debt-Free Isn’t Growth: Infrastructure, Integrity, and the Impossible Annexation Episode 212 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Overview In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Steve Dalton, City Administrator of Branson West, Missouri—a small town with 500 residents, million-dollar infrastructure, and a story that defies every assumption about rural government leadership. From a childhood on a farm with no running water to a reluctant entry into law enforcement, Steve’s journey is anything but traditional. After years in narcotics...
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211: Kathy O'Nan: Beyond the Tornado: Presence, Pressure, and the Power of Local Leadership
The HaltingWinter Podcast
Show Notes: Kathy O'Nan: Beyond the Tornado: Presence, Pressure, and the Power of Local Leadership Episode 211 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Overview In this powerful episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Kathy O’Nan, Mayor of Mayfield, Kentucky, a retired teacher turned public servant whose life was forever changed on December 10, 2021, when a catastrophic EF-4 tornado ripped through the heart of her city. What followed was a story of leadership under fire, community resilience, and a fierce refusal to give up. Kathy shares the emotional and practical realities...
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210: Book of the Week: Who Moved My Cheese?
The HaltingWinter Podcast
Show Notes: Book of the Week – Who Moved My Cheese?Episode 210 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Who Moved My Cheese? Series) Episode Title: When Change Catches Municipal Leaders Off Guard Episode Overview The federal grant you've relied on for three years just got eliminated. Your most experienced department head announced retirement. The state passed new regulations that completely change how you deliver services. Your first instinct might be frustration, analysis, or hoping things return to normal but what if these moments are actually opportunities to become a more...
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209: Laura Philpot: Vision Over Ego: A Shift from Big Projects to Real Impact
The HaltingWinter Podcast
Show Notes: Laura Philpot: Vision Over Ego: A Shift from Big Projects to Real Impact Episode 209 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Overview In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Laura Philpot, City Manager of Maple Valley, Washington, to explore how a career rooted in public works evolved into a leadership philosophy centered on people, not prestige. Laura’s journey began with a love for math, a concrete canoe competition, and a fascination with big infrastructure projects. But over time, through building bridges, programming traffic lights, and stepping into...
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208: Alan Keck: Leading Like an Entrepreneur: Risk, Resilience, and Reinventing Local Government
The HaltingWinter Podcast
Show Notes: Alan Keck: Leading Like an Entrepreneur: Risk, Resilience, and Reinventing Local Government Episode 208 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Overview In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Alan Keck, Mayor of Somerset, Kentucky, to unpack what happens when you bring an entrepreneurial mindset into City Hall. From a teenage calling into public service to losing his first election by 24 points, Alan’s journey is anything but conventional—and that’s exactly why it’s so compelling. Alan shares how growing up in a family of business owners shaped his...
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207: Book of the Week: Orbiting the Giant Hairball
The HaltingWinter Podcast
Show Notes: Book of the Week – Orbiting the Giant HairballEpisode 207 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Orbiting the Giant Hairball Series) Episode Title: When Your City Hall Becomes a Giant Hairball: Breaking Free from Bureaucratic Gravity Episode Overview Your organization is accumulating policies faster than it's eliminating them, and this bureaucratic mass is quietly undermining your ability to serve your community effectively. In this kickoff episode of our series, Seth Winterhalter explores how municipal governments become trapped in what Gordon MacKenzie called...
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206: Sandra Fournier: Filling Potholes in Heels: What it Takes for Bold Leadership in the Face of Bureaucracy
The HaltingWinter Podcast
Show Notes: Sandra Fournier: Filling Potholes in Heels: What it Takes for Bold Leadership in the Face of Bureaucracy Episode 206 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Overview In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Sandra Fournier, the remarkable Town Manager of Mapleton, Castle Hill, and Chapman, Maine. From a teenage mother without a high school diploma to leading not just one, but three municipalities at the same time, Sandra’s story is one of grit, growth, and grounded leadership. She opens up about growing up in poverty, the power of second chances, and the pivotal...
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205: Daron Jordan: Grants, Grit, and the Quiet Wins That Build Cities
The HaltingWinter Podcast
Show Notes: Daron Jordan: Grants, Grit, and the Quiet Wins That Build Cities Episode 205 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Overview In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Daron Jordan, City Manager of Paducah, Kentucky, to explore a career that started poolside and led all the way to the city manager’s seat. From selling boat stickers as a teenager to becoming the first full-time program and aquatics director in his hometown, Daron’s story is a masterclass in how local government leaders are formed, not in textbooks, but in the trenches. Daron opens up about the...
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204: Book of the Week: Reality-Based Leadership
The HaltingWinter Podcast
Show Notes: Book of the Week – Reality-Based LeadershipEpisode 204 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Reality-Based Leadership Series) Episode Title: Beyond City Hall Drama: Leading with Reality Instead of Stories Episode Overview Your team's energy is being drained by something you can control, but most municipal leaders don't recognize it's happening. In this kickoff episode of our series, Seth Winterhalter explores how drama, blame, and resistance consume the energy your organization needs for serving your community. Drawing from Cy Wakeman's helpful research, we...
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203: Wesley Young: From Comfort to Calling: Choosing the Hard Path of Local Impact
The HaltingWinter Podcast
Show Notes: Wesley Young: From Comfort to Calling: Choosing the Hard Path of Local Impact Episode 203 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Overview In this episode, Seth Winterhalter welcomes Wesley Young, City Administrator of Willard, Missouri, for a conversation that’s part memoir, part masterclass on finding purpose in public service. Wesley’s journey spans continents, careers, and courageous decisions, from growing up in England and overcoming dyslexia to building a life of service in the American Midwest. Along the way, he chose the hard path: leaving the safety of state government for the...
info_outlineShow Notes: Rebecca Houseman – Reluctant Leader, Relentless Impact: Navigating Referendums, Red Tape, and Real Change
Episode 193 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Overview
In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Rebecca Houseman, City Manager of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin—a leader who didn’t chase the title but earned it through grit, adaptability, and a relentless commitment to the communities she serves.
From stepping into planning and clerking roles without formal training to building full-time EMS/fire services in a city that had long relied on volunteers, Rebecca’s story is a masterclass in the kind of leadership that local government demands: practical, people-focused, and profoundly personal.
We talk about what it means to lead in a mid-sized city with limited resources, how to build trust with staff and residents alike, and the emotional weight that comes with being the one in the chair when no one else will step up.
If you’ve ever juggled multiple hats in a small or mid-sized city, fought for a referendum, or wondered how to keep going when a major project falls through, this conversation is for you.
Episode Highlights:
A Reluctant Leader Finds Her Way:
How Rebecca’s journey from “reluctant leader” to city manager began with internships, encouragement, and saying yes to the roles no one else would take.
Planning, Clerking, and Everything In Between:
The power of learning on the job and how wearing multiple hats shaped her ability to lead from the center.
EMS Reform That Changed Everything:
Why Rebecca took a leap of faith to break an EMS contract before the referendum passed and how that risk paid off.
When Development Deals Fall Apart:
The emotional and professional cost of investing two years in a housing project that never happened and why Rebecca kept pushing forward anyway.
Collaboration Over Competition:
How Fort Atkinson benefits from regional partnerships and why economic development is a shared mission, not a solo act.
Leadership in the Shadows:
What most people never see about the long, lonely, and meaningful work of city management.
Connect with Rebecca Houseman
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-houseman
WCMA: www.wcma-wi.org
Connect with Seth Winterhalter:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com
About HaltingWinter Municipal Solutions
At HaltingWinter, we help local government leaders build thriving teams and resilient workplace cultures through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Leadership.
Learn more at HaltingWinter.com
Seth's Upcoming Keynotes:
2025 South Carolina APWA Chapter Annual Conference
June 24 | Spartanburg, SC
Details at SCAPWA
2025 Kentucky League of Cities Annual Conference & Expo
September 24 | Owensboro, KY
Details at KLC
2025 Kansas City/County Management Association Annual Conference
December 4 | Manhattan, KS
Details at KCMA
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