The Monmouth city council approved an employment agreement Monday with Lou Leone to serve as the city's next administrator.
Leone is scheduled to begin July 10, replacing Lew Steinbrecher, who is retiring after serving as city administrator for the past nine years.
Leone previously served as city administrator in Kiowa, Kansas; New London, Wisconsin; Nebraska City, Nebraska; and Harvard, Illinois.
He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Millikin University in Decatur and a master's degree in public administration with a concentration in local government management from the University of Colorado Denver.
Leone's experience includes financial management, residential housing projects, collective bargaining, human resources, long-term capital improvement planning, and organizational management, according to a press release from the city.
"On behalf of the council and the city of Monmouth, we're excited to have Lou Leone be our next city administrator," Mayor Rod Davies said in the release. "Lou has some excellent experience in similarly-sized cities and the right background and skill set to ensure we continue prudent financial management, aggressive economic development, and effective leadership of city government."
Monmouth began its search for a new city administrator in late March. Applicants were screened by Steinbrecher with assistance from John Phillips, senior adviser for western Illinois with the Illinois City/County Management Association.
Two finalists interviewed with the city council in mid-June before the council authorized negotiations with Leone.
Leone most recently was the city administrator in Harvard, where his contract was not renewed last year.
