Gary Boden

Gary Boden is a City Manager with nearly 30 years of experience in municipal government. Through his work with cities in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa, he has established essential local government departments and overseen teams of municipal employees.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Illinois, Gary Boden studied urban management at Northern Illinois University (NIU), earning a Master of Arts in Public Administration. While enrolled at NIU, he served as an Intern in the departments of Community Development and Public Works of DeKalb, Illinois. Upon completion of his graduate degree, Gary Boden accepted a full-time position with the City of DeKalb.

Gary Boden served the City of DeKalb for nearly 10 years, holding positions including Management Analyst, Administrative Assistant, and Assistant City Manager. Among other accomplishments, he negotiated more than 30 contracts and wage discussions with the International Association of Fire Fighters; the Fraternal Order of Police; and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Workers. Gary Boden also assisted the mayor of DeKalb in mediating a local public school strike and conducted frequent press conferences.

Following his time with the City of DeKalb, Gary Boden served as the City Manager of Whitewater, Wisconsin, from 1991 to 2004. In this role, he made significant contributions in the areas of community development, operational improvement, and financial management. While maintaining Whitewater’s low property tax rate, Gary Boden developed and updated a 10-year capital improvement program for the city. He also oversaw the development within four tax increment financing districts, which funded $14 million in projects.