The City of Carbondale announced on Friday that Police Chief and acting City Manager Stan Reno has accepted a conditional offer for the full-time, permanent position of City Manager, pending final approval of an employment agreement by the Carbondale City Council.
“Serving the City of Carbondale as police chief has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” said Reno in Friday’s press release. “I look forward to continuing to serve our community in this new capacity as city manager.”
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Reno had been the city’s chief of police since 2021 and assumed the interim city manager role in March of 2024 after the resignation of former City Manager Gary Williams.
Outside of Reno, other candidates being considered for the role were Thomas Thomas and Shawn Metcalf.
When asked what made Reno stand out among the other candidates, Carbondale Mayor Carolin Harvey said simply “he was the most qualified.”
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Reno will now lead the way on multiple projects in Carbondale – some of which are currently ongoing and many of which are upcoming.
“I’m looking forward to working with him on completing current projects and bringing on new ones that will help the city grow and thrive,” said Harvey.
One city project that appears to be near completion is the southern Illinois multimodal station (SIMMS) in the downtown area on the east side of South Illinois Avenue.
A project update posted on the city’s website earlier this month said that the interior and exterior of the SIMMS building are nearly complete and that concrete work and landscaping will continue as weather permits.
As Reno assumes his new role, Carbondale residents can expect him to play a pivotal part in upcoming projects such as the Downtown Entertainment and Events Plaza on Washington Street, updates to the Superblock sports complex, the Saluki Greenway multi-use path from Old Highway 13 to Wood Road and the resurfacing of multiple Carbondale roadways.
Carbondale city officials said in the release on Friday that the city extends its gratitude to Reno for his “unwavering commitment to public safety,” and “looks forward to his leadership in this new role.”
In preparation for this transition, Reno will appoint an acting chief of police when he assumes his full-time role as city manager.
Details regarding the selection of an acting chief of police and the city’s nationwide search for a new police chief are expected to be announced soon.
The Daily Egyptian has reached out to the offices of the mayor and city manager and will update this story as more information is received.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to add comment from Mayor Carolin Harvey
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