Evanston City Council Picks John Fournier As Next City Manager

EVANSTON, IL — City officials have begun negotiating a contract with John Fournier, the City Council's pick for the next permanent city manager, staff announced Friday.

Fournier has spent the past four years as assistant city administrator of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he also served as interim human resources director.

During a question-and-answer session held over video-teleconferencing software last week, Fournier said he was excited by the ways he could contribute to the city's goals.

"Evanston is a really great community and a really unique opportunity. You know, everybody wants to work in an environment where they're supported and where they can contribute. And when I first learned of the opportunity in Evanston, I started reading about the city and learning about the issues that are in front of you," Fournier said.

"Issues about climate change are really important to me, and have been really important in my career, I have a lot of experience dealing with budget issues in local government, and I think that I can be really productive and really helpful for the city of Evanston," he said. "I have experience in human resources management, and I think that's a need of the city right now."

Prior to taking his current position in his native Michigan, Fournier worked for the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he served as chief of staff to former City Council member Natalia Rudiak, deputy chief of staff to Mayor Bill Peduto and, eventually, as the city's director of on-street and metered parking.

Fournier also has experience working as a press secretary for a Pittsburgh teachers union and has owned and operated a public policy consultancy.

The other finalist for the city manager job was Snapper Poche, the former code enforcement director in New Orleans and a current program director at the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.

Evanston has not had a permanent city manager since the October 2021 negotiated resignation of former City Manager Erika Storlie amid an investigation into the city's handling of sexual misconduct allegations by female parks department staff working on the lakefront.

Kelley Gandurski, the city's former corporation counsel and deputy city manager, has served as interim city manager since the departure of Storlie, who subsequently took a job in East Dundee.

According to the statement Evanston city officials issued Friday, a decision on a finalized contract is expected to be announced within the "coming weeks."