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A Career Built on Results, Not Rhetoric
Glenn Rodden has spent over 30 years proving that effective city management isn't about politics—it's about delivering results. From small Kansas towns to larger municipal operations, he's built a reputation for turning ambitious community visions into reality while keeping taxpayers' wallets in mind.
Making Big Things Happen Without Breaking the Bank
What sets Rodden apart is his knack for getting major projects done without the tax increases that usually come with them. Across five Kansas cities, he's overseen the development of law enforcement centers, aquatic facilities, community centers, and critical infrastructure improvements—all while maintaining fiscal discipline that would make any budget director proud.
His secret? A combination of strategic grant writing, creative financing, and careful planning. Rodden has secured over $20 million in state and federal grants for everything from transportation and housing to water systems and airports. That's $20 million in outside funding that didn't have to come from local property taxes.
Economic Development That Actually Creates Jobs
While many administrators talk about economic development, Rodden has the numbers to back it up. He's helped create more than 300 jobs, established business parks, and breathed new life into struggling downtowns through Kansas Main Street programs and historic district designations. These aren't just statistics—they represent families and communities with renewed purpose.
Innovation When It Matters Most
Rodden's infrastructure work demonstrates both forward thinking and crisis management capabilities. He's implemented community solar projects ahead of the curve, negotiated long-term power contracts that saved municipalities money, and even helped establish the Kansas Power Pool—a collaborative effort among cities to manage electrical resources more efficiently.When disaster struck Holton, Kansas, in the form of an ice storm that destroyed the city's electrical system, Rodden led the recovery effort, coordinating federal and state emergency funding to rebuild critical infrastructure. It's the kind of leadership that doesn't make headlines until something goes wrong—and then it makes all the difference.
A Track Record Across Kansas
Baldwin City (2016-2025): Rodden's most recent role saw him leading strategic planning initiatives, securing Safe Routes to School grants to make neighborhoods safer for children, and establishing three housing districts to address community growth—all without raising taxes.
Beloit (2009-2015): He delivered a $4.2 million aquatic facility on time and on budget, secured $2.9 million in infrastructure grants, and managed a $14 million annual budget with the kind of attention to detail that keeps cities solvent.
Holton (2007-2009): When an ice storm devastated the city's electrical system, Rodden stepped into crisis management mode, coordinating the disaster recovery effort and securing the funding needed to rebuild.
Seneca (2000-2007): Rodden developed a comprehensive master plan that actually got implemented, created 300 jobs in a small Kansas town, and helped establish the Kansas Power Pool—an achievement that continues benefiting Kansas cities today.
Early Career and Illinois Experience
Before settling into Kansas, Rodden cut his teeth in Illinois as Interim City Manager of Streator (1996-2000), where he managed $15 million in combined budgets and led a municipal pool rebuild that earned the Governor's Award. It's where he learned that good management principles work regardless of which side of the state line you're on.
The Foundation: Education and Service
Rodden's extensive education—a Ph.D. in American History, an MPA, an M.A. in American History, and a B.S. in Political Science from Northern Illinois University—gives him the analytical framework to understand how communities function and evolve. But his practical skills were honed even earlier, during his service as a U.S. Army Telecommunications Specialist from 1975 to 1980, where he managed secure intelligence communications in Germany. It's experience that taught him about systems, security, and the importance of reliable infrastructure.
A Respected Voice in Municipal Management
Rodden's expertise hasn't gone unnoticed by his peers. He's an active member of the International City Management Association and the Kansas City Managers Association, and has served on the board of the Kansas Municipal Energy Association. His involvement with the Kansas Power Pool and multiple regional economic development and planning boards means his influence extends well beyond any single city's boundaries.
The Bottom Line
In an era when public administration often gets reduced to soundbites and political posturing, Glenn Rodden represents something increasingly rare: a career public servant with the expertise to envision transformative projects and the management skills to deliver them. His 30-year track record speaks for itself—major facilities built, millions in grants secured, hundreds of jobs created, and communities strengthened, all while maintaining the fiscal responsibility that taxpayers demand.
For cities lucky enough to have had his leadership, Rodden has been the kind of administrator who makes the impossible look routine and the complex look simple. That's not just experience—that's excellence.