(November 25, 2025) Tim Gleason witnessed the City at work during his first days on the job as Interim City Administrator. That week, a block away from City Hall, the Public Works team executed the final steps of converting 3rd Street into two-way traffic. Gleason liked what he saw taking shape downtown.
“It’s impressive. Between the planning, the design work, and the execution, we have a solid team,” said Gleason. “It looked like near-perfect execution. And I think it will be a positive move for the downtown.”
Getting up to speed on all the moving parts in the City is the first priority for Gleason. He comes to Davenport from his role as City Manager in Decatur, Illinois. His calendar is packed with meetings to introduce him to the staff and elected officials, and he’s using those conversations to learn about what’s important to this community.
“In this interim role, I want to stay focused on the elected officials’ priorities,” Gleason said. “The biggest task ahead will be onboarding the five newly elected officials. We are making sure that we get them ready to do the business of the city, starting in January.”
Onboarding the new Mayor and City Council
The 2026-2027 Davenport City Council will be led by Mayor-elect Jason Gordon and includes four new aldermen - Paul Vasquez (Ward 3), John Blunk (Ward 5), Mark Holloway (Ward 7), and Matt Lienen (Ward 8). The incoming Council will be introduced to the work of each department and the facilities across the City and work closely with current and new members of the leadership team. Fire Chief Jeff VanderWiere has assumed his new role, and the hiring of a new IT Director is nearing completion. Together, Gleason and the new Council will jump right into the FY 2027 budget process.
“This role is the CEO of an organization working for a board, an elected Council,” he said. “I'm the person to get their vision done. We need to accurately convey the needs of the organization and ensure we're doing the most that we possibly can with the resources that we have.”
Vision and Direction for Davenport
While in an interim role, Gleason wants to be considered for the permanent position and has formally applied.
“This organization needs stability,” said Gleason. “I won’t shy away from looking at the City’s needs long-term, even in an interim position. I won’t wait to execute on something that will ultimately provide better service for the community.”
He anticipates big opportunities to make an impact, seeing the success of the $67 million investment in capital projects delivered in FY 2026. But it’s not enough to just complete the work. Gleason wants to make sure the public understands how local government operates and the value of its work.
“We have to be intentional in telling our community all the things that we're doing and telling our story,” he said. “We’re having a lot of success.”
Gleason will serve in the interim role for at least six months while the City conducts an executive search for a permanent City Administrator. Gleason is an experienced leader in local government management, previously serving as City Manager in Decatur, Illinois, and Bloomington, Illinois. He has over 15 years of experience in state and local government executive roles and 21 years in law enforcement.
