The City of Galesburg is hosting a reception to welcome the new City Manager, Eric Hanson, on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, from 5 PM to 7 PM at Galesburg City Hall, 55 West Tomkins Street. Community partners, the business community, and citizens are invited to attend the public reception to meet the new City Manager. The Galesburg City Council unanimously approved Hanson to fill the position of City Manager on October 2, 2023, and his first official day as City Manager is scheduled for December 11, 2023. Hanson was selected to fill the top leadership role after a nationwide recruitment campaign, led by GovHR.
Hanson has extensive experience as a public administrator, with a track record of successfully managing capital projects, building consensus, and effectively resolving complex issues. He most recently served as the Assistant City Manager in the Town of Normal, a position he has held since January 2019. A native of west-central Illinois, Hanson graduated Magna Cum Laude in Political Science from Monmouth College with a concentration in Economics and holds an MPA in Public Administration from the University of Illinois-Springfield. Before serving in Normal, Hanson served as City Manager in Ballwin, MO; Indianola, IA; and Monmouth, IL.
During his tenure in city administration, Hanson has worked on over $1.25 billion in economic development projects and over $100 million in capital improvement initiatives for the four cities he has served. Throughout his career, he has garnered experience in all facets of public management required to manage the operations of the City of Galesburg successfully.
Hanson has been very involved in his community and active in professional organizations, including the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), and Illinois City Management Association (ILCMA). Eric and his wife Tara, a native of Monmouth and fellow Monmouth College Alum, have two children, 20-year-old Paige, and 16-year-old Ean.
