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.
HaltingWinter Podcast, Episode 218
Featuring the story of Sugar Land, TX City Manager (and former Coral Springs, FL City Manager)
Michael Goodrum’s resume reads like a case study in climbing the municipal ladder.
Parks coordinator. Department head. Public works director. Assistant city manager.
But behind the impressive job titles was something few people saw:
A leadership approach that got results while quietly burning people out.
Episode 217 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity
In 2005, the City of Bowling Green, Kentucky, faced a moment that could have shattered public trust for a generation.
A senior leader had been embezzling public funds. The discovery fell into the lap of then City Treasurer Jeff Meisel, a lifelong Bowling Green resident, a CPA by training, and a man who had to decide whether to walk away from the mess or stay and lead through it.
Your last leadership team meeting ran two hours over schedule. Again. Despite having some of the most qualified department heads in the region, decisions still feel like negotiations. Staff can recite your mission statement but can’t explain how their daily work connects to it. And that customer service initiative you launched three months ago? Half your employees still default to the old way of doing things.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and you’re not failing.
Episode 215 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Guest: Ed Barrett, Retired City Manager (Bangor & Lewiston, ME)
What does it actually take to lead a city through transformation?
Not the kind that fits neatly in a press release. The kind that spans decades. That outlives your tenure. That turns brownfields into riverwalks, empty buildings into museums, and overlooked communities into regional anchors.
Featuring Boone Bowling, Mayor of Middlesboro, KY
Episode 214 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
What do you do when you’re 22 years old, barely out of college, and have never been to a city council meeting but you love your town enough to fight for it?
If you’re Boone Bowling, you run for office.
Every week, municipal leaders across North America face the same frustrating reality: despite having compelling data, solid proposals, and genuine passion for community service, their most important messages fall flat.
Council members glaze over during budget presentations. Citizens disengage from critical infrastructure discussions. Staff meetings feel disconnected from the mission that brought everyone to public service in the first place. The harder you push facts and figures, the more resistance you encounter.
This isn’t a failure of logic. It’s a failure of connection.
Episode 212 of The HaltingWinter Podcast – Featuring Steve Dalton, City Administrator of Branson West, MO
Brought to you by Zencity
In 1990, Branson West, Missouri, had a population of 37. Today, it’s still technically a town of just over 500. But don’t let the numbers fool you—this place is built like a city ten times its size.
Episode 211 of The HaltingWinter Podcast – Featuring Mayor Kathy O’Nan of Mayfield, Kentucky
Brought to you by Zencity
On the night of December 10, 2021, an EF-4 tornado tore directly through the heart of Mayfield, Kentucky. Within minutes, the town’s historic downtown was flattened. Municipal buildings were reduced to rubble. Hundreds of homes were destroyed. And yet—amid the darkness, destruction, and overwhelming uncertainty—a leader showed up and stayed.
The federal grant you’ve relied on for three years just got eliminated. Your most experienced department head announced their retirement with two weeks’ notice. New state regulations completely changed how you deliver core services to your community.
Welcome to Summer 2025!
This week, we’re diving into Spencer Johnson’s “Who Moved My Cheese?” – a deceptively simple parable that offers profound insights for municipal leaders navigating the constant change that defines local government.
Episode 209 of The HaltingWinter Podcast – Featuring Laura Philpot, City Manager of Maple Valley, WA
Brought to you by Zencity
When Laura Philpot started her career, she wanted to build big things—bridges, stadiums, and infrastructure that would last for generations. But somewhere between a concrete canoe competition in college and a salmon stream restoration project in Maple Valley, Washington, her vision shifted.
