At a special meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, the Rochelle City Council voted unanimously to appoint City Engineer Sam Tesreau as interim city manager following the resignation and impending departure of City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh.

As interim city manager, Tesreau will oversee the day-to-day operations of the city, support staff and work with the city council to ensure the continued delivery of municipal services. The appointment is intended to provide stability while the city council considers next steps regarding permanent leadership.

“I am honored by the council’s confidence and the opportunity to serve the city of Rochelle in this capacity,” Tesreau said. “Rochelle has a dedicated and talented staff, and my focus will be on supporting their work, maintaining operational continuity and ensuring a smooth transition for the organization.”

Tesreau’s experience serving the city includes overseeing major infrastructure projects, capital planning and engineering operations.

“Sam has demonstrated strong technical expertise, professionalism and a deep understanding of Rochelle’s operations,” Mayor John Bearrows said. “The city council is confident in his ability to provide steady leadership and maintain continuity of services during this transition.”

Fiegenschuh has served in his position for eight years and will be the next city administrator of Washington, Illinois. The council unanimously accepted his resignation Tuesday.

During the special meeting, the city council also voted unanimously to engage Arndt Municipal Support to conduct a search for Rochelle’s next city manager. The cost for that will be no more than $22,250.

Fiegenschuh spoke at the start of the special meeting and said he will do all he can to support Tesreau and staff before he departs on Jan. 14, 2026.

Fiegenschuh showed a video recapping accomplishments over his eight years and thanked the mayors, council members and staff he’s worked with.

Fiegenschuh’s work over the past eight years has included navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, economic development progress, work on the city’s financial reserves, infrastructure investment such as work on two new electrical substations, public safety staffing expansion and personnel development.

“It’s been a wonderful journey as your city manager for the last eight years,” Fiegenschuh said. “This has been my home and I love it here. And it was a very tough decision to leave. I do think that our team has left the city better than we found it.”

Bearrows wished Fiegenschuh well in his new endeavor and thanked him for the knowledge he brought to the city.

“I think we all learned a lot from Jeff,” Bearrows said. “I think Jeff had grown to a point where he needed a bigger challenge.”