At its meeting on December 3, 2024, the Champaign City Council will consider a resolution to appoint Joan Walls to serve as the next City Manager for the City of Champaign. For the past eleven years Walls has served as Deputy City Manager, a position that functions as the Chief Operating Officer of the City organization. With more than 24 years of experience with the City, Walls is a Credentialed City Manager and a respected community leader.
Walls joined the City of Champaign in 2000 as the Assistant to the Chief for Community Services/Public Information Officer in the Police Department. She was promoted to Deputy City Manager for Community Relations in 2006 and appointed Deputy City Manager in 2013. Prior to joining the City of Champaign, Walls served as the Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Vermilion County in Danville, Illinois.
Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen said, “Our City organization has a long legacy of developing leaders from within. Over her 24 years with our City, Joan’s contributions to the community and our organization have been impressive. She is a servant leader who has shown her heart for this community time and time again. Joan understands the City Council’s vision for our future, and she possesses the creativity and enthusiasm to move our City forward. We have the utmost confidence in Joan’s leadership. I can’t think of anyone who is more highly qualified or better prepared to serve as our next City Manager than Joan Walls, and I will happily support her appointment at Tuesday’s meeting.”
Walls is an active member of the International City/County Management Association and serves as a Board Member of the Illinois City/County Management Association (ILCMA). She also serves as Chair of ILCMA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, is a member of the Big 10 Cities Network, a Board Member of the METCAD 911 Policy Board, a Board Member of Experience Champaign-Urbana, and an Executive Committee Member for the Champaign County Community Coalition.
“I love this community. It is an honor to be considered by the City Council to serve as Champaign’s next City Manager,” said Joan Walls. “I am deeply grateful to the Mayor and City Council for their continued support and confidence in my ability to lead the City organization. I look forward to engaging with our elected officials, residents, businesses, and community partners to ensure we meet the evolving needs of our growing community. I am excited to work alongside our amazing City staff to build upon our standard of excellence in public service.”
Walls holds a Master of Science degree in Educational Psychology from Eastern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University in Administration of Justice.
If appointed, Walls will assume her new position effective December 21, 2024. Walls succeeds City Manager Dorothy Ann David, who previously announced her plans to retire later this month.