Naperville’s Director of Finance is poised to become the new city manager for the city of Wheaton, pending city council approval at a meeting next week.
The Wheaton council plans to formalize the appointment of Raymond Munch to serve as the city’s chief executive during a meeting July 6.
‘Diverse career in public service’
Munch stands to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of longtime Wheaton City Manager Michael Dzugan. The city conducted an “extensive search” through MGT, a government executive recruiting firm, before choosing to hire Munch, Wheaton officials said in a news release.
“Ray brings to the city of Wheaton a unique and diverse career in public service, combining experience in finance, city management and law enforcement,” Wheaton Mayor Philip Suess said in the release. “His skillset and wide-ranging experiences will position him well to lead the city of Wheaton’s departments and maintain the high quality of services that Wheaton provides to our community.”
Six years in Naperville, background in local government
Munch has made his career in local government. His experience spans 24 years, most recently as the city of Naperville’s Director of Finance. He joined Naperville’s finance department as Budget Manager in 2020, then became Deputy Finance Director two years later before rising to Director of Finance in 2024.
Before joining the city of Naperville, Munch worked as Assistant City Manager and Interim City Manager for the City of DeKalb. But he began his career in law enforcement, working for the villages of Plainfield, Glen Ellyn and Carol Stream, according to his LinkedIn page.
Munch holds an associate’s degree in criminal justice from College of DuPage, a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement and justice administration from Western Illinois University and a master’s degree in public administration from Northern Illinois University.
Wheaton — like Naperville — governed by council-manager structure
Munch, in Wheaton’s news release, said he’s “honored and grateful” for the opportunity to become the city’s top employee.
“Wheaton is a community with a strong tradition of excellent public service and thoughtful leadership. I look forward to working alongside the city council, our dedicated employees, community partners and residents to build on that strong foundation,” Munch said in the release. “Together, we will continue to enhance the quality of life for everyone who calls Wheaton home, while ensuring the city remains financially strong and well-positioned for the future.”
In Wheaton’s council-manager form of government — the same governance structure used in Naperville — the city manager is the top municipal employee and oversees the day-to-day operations of all city departments. Meanwhile, the city council sets policy for the city manager to implement.
Pending approval of Munch’s appointment, the city of Wheaton said he’ll take his leadership position there on July 27.
Image courtesy: City of Wheaton
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