Today, City Manager Joan Walls announced she has appointed Tyler Funk to serve as the City of Champaign’s Interim Fire Chief starting July 14, 2025. Funk previously worked at the Champaign Fire Department for 26 years, rising to the rank of Deputy Fire Chief before retiring in 2023.
“I want to extend my deepest gratitude and thank Tyler for agreeing to come out of retirement to serve as Champaign’s Interim Fire Chief,” said Champaign City Manager Joan Walls. “Tyler is a well-respected and trusted leader who is very familiar with the operations, services, and personnel at the Champaign Fire Department. I have the utmost confidence in his ability to lead the department and thank him for serving the City and our residents in this interim role.”
Tyler Funk said, “I want to thank the City Manager for putting her trust in me to lead this amazing department during this important period of transition. I am grateful to have this opportunity to continue supporting the hard-working professionals of the Champaign Fire Department until a new Fire Chief is selected. I cherish the relationships that I built throughout my career with the City of Champaign, and the experiences I shared with the professionals at both the Fire Department and the executive leadership at the City.”
Funk began his career as a Firefighter with the Champaign Fire Department in 1997 and worked his way up through the ranks during his long and distinguished career. He retired at the rank of Deputy Fire Chief in July 2023. Funk also served as Acting Fire Chief during the City’s COVID emergency response in 2020-2021, served as Fire Marshal from 2019-2023, taught Incident Command System training at the department for many years, and was a member of the State of Illinois’ MABAS deployable Hazmat team. Prior to joining the Champaign Fire Department, Funk proudly served as a Department of Defense Firefighter with the U.S. Army at Fort Bragg, NC, from 1992-1996.
Funk will succeed Chief Andy Quarnstrom, who is retiring on July 14, 2025. The City Manager will conduct a recruitment to find a new Fire Chief starting later this summer.