Travis Coenen: Leading Where Everyone Knows Your Name
Building Systems That Turn Small-Town Pressures Into Sustainable Growth

Episode 299 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

What does leadership look like when everyone in town knows you and isn't afraid to tell you what they think?

In this episode, Seth sits down with Travis Coenen, Village Administrator of Wrightstown, Wisconsin, to explore the weight and reward of leading in a small community. From growing up in a town of 1,200 people to overseeing its expansion to more than 4,000 residents, Travis shares how intentional systems, transparent communication, and long-term stewardship transformed both infrastructure and community trust.

Before becoming an administrator, Travis worked in utility construction, served as a wastewater operator, and was once told he wouldn't even make the interview process for Director of Public Works. He applied anyway.

This conversation is a reminder that local government isn't small work; it's personal, visible, and generational.

If you lead in a community where your reputation lives next door, this episode is for you.

Sponsored by:

• Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

• The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a global community for local government leaders who want ongoing support, practical insights, and a trusted peer network to help them lead with clarity and conviction. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

Brian Heck: Thick Skin, Soft Heart
Absorbing Criticism While Building Communities That Last

Episode 301 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

What does it take to lead in local government for nearly four decades?

In this episode, Seth sits down with Brian Heck, City Administrator of Montgomery, Minnesota, who was recently named one of the Top 10 City Administrators for 2026. After 38 years serving in city, county, and state government, and now preparing for retirement, Brian reflects on the realities few people see behind the title.

He shares candidly about being fired twice, learning resilience the hard way, and discovering that city managers are "all interim…it just depends on how long."

From rebuilding infrastructure and restructuring failing utility finances to revitalizing a historic downtown, Brian walks through the long-game work of municipal leadership: work that rarely makes headlines but shapes communities for generations.

He also speaks honestly about the personal cost of constant availability, the lesson of putting the oxygen mask on yourself first, and why thick skin must be paired with a soft heart.

Leadership in a small city isn't glamorous. It isn't always secure. It won't make you wealthy.

But it can make you impactful.

And if you do it well, you leave your community stronger than you found it.

Sponsored by:

• Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

• The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a global community for local government leaders who want ongoing support, practical insights, and a trusted peer network to help them lead with clarity and conviction. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – Essentialism
Episode 300 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

This week inside the Municipal Leadership Development Circle, we're exploring Greg McKeown's "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less," and it will challenge everything you think you know about effective leadership.

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter introduces the core concepts from Essentialism and why they matter specifically for local government leaders. If you're exhausted from trying to do everything, drowning in good opportunities, and spread too thin to make meaningful progress on anything, this book offers a radically different approach.

Join the MLDC for the Complete 5-Part Series

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a network of local government leaders from across North America, including city/county managers, administrators, and department heads, giving you access to:

✔ A weekly podcast series breaking down one book for municipal applications
✔ Daily blog reflections and implementation tools
✔ Our live, weekly, virtual mastermind session
✔ Monthly webinars with relevant training from local gov leaders

➡ Learn more at www.HaltingWinter.com/MLDC

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

Connect with Seth Winterhalter

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com