Evanston city manager announces staff changes

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Updated: January 31, 2012 1:15AM

Evanston City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz has announced the appointment of Marty Lyons as chief financial officer in addition to his duties as assistant city manager and city treasurer.

Joe McRae has been appointed to the new position of deputy city manager, and Erika Storlie has been appointed citizen engagement division manager.

All three have been serving in these roles on an interim basis since September 2011.

In his new role, Lyons will serve as head of the city’s Administrative Services Department responsible for finance, human resources, information technology and parking services.

“I am thankful that Marty has agreed to transition into the position of chief financial officer. His skills and abilities in finance and human resources are key to a successful Evanston,” said Bobkiewicz, in a news release.

Assistant to the City Manager Joe McRae will become deputy city manager and assume some of Lyons’ previous duties including coordinating day-to-day issues in the city manager’s office and managing the City Council agenda preparation process. Moreover, McRae will work on several critical citywide projects including at-risk youth initiatives, key economic development projects and serving as staff to the city’s Minority/Women and Evanston Based Business program and Human Relations Commission, the release states.

Web communications coordinator Erika Storlie will assume McRae’s duties managing the citizen engagement division, which includes oversight of the city’s 311 operations, community outreach, development and fund raising, public information, Web and social media services, cable television and the city’s volunteer program, according to the release.

Lyons came to Evanston in 2008 as finance director and became assistant city manager in 2009. Prior to his service in Evanston, Lyons worked in the financial services industry for six years and served as director of finance and information services for the village of Downers Grove from 1993 to 2002.

From 1988 to 1993 Lyons was the assistant and then director of finance for the village of LaGrange.

Lyons has a master’s degree in business administration and finance from the Keller School of Management and bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Illinois.

McRae has been assistant to the city manager since October 2008. Prior to coming to Evanston, McRae served two years as assistant to the village manager in the village of Wilmette and was an ICMA Local Government Management Fellow in Catawba County, North Carolina. McRae has a master’s degree in public administration from Cleveland State University’s Levin College of Urban Affairs and a bachelor of arts degree in political science and public communications from Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio.

Storlie has been Web communications coordinator for the city since 2009 and has worked in various positions with the city since 2004. Prior to joining the city of Evanston, Storlie worked for Sony Electronics in San Diego, Calif. Storlie has a bachelor’s degree in organization behavior from Northwestern University and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in public policy and administration at Northwestern.

“Marty, Joe and Erika serve as the core of the city’s central administration. They are each talented professionals in their own right and together form a solid team to serve the residents of Evanston,” Bobkiewicz said in the release.