Rochelle’s City Council meeting on April 13 was Zeke Jackson’s first as the community’s city manager.

The council unanimously approved his 3-year employment agreement. Jackson replaces Jeff Fiegenschuh, who resigned in December to take a city administrator position in Washington, Illinois after eight years as Rochelle’s city manager. City Engineer Sam Teseau has been serving as interim city manager since Fiegenschuh’s departure. Jackson will begin his new role June 8.

“I’m excited to be a part of the community and looking forward to all the great things ahead,” Jackson said.

Jackson was born and raised in North Carolina. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from East Carolina University, a master of public administration degree from Wayland Baptist University and is a credentialed ICMA city manager. Most recently, Jackson has served the communities of Sister Bay, Wisconsin and Waterford, Wisconsin.

The city of Rochelle engaged a search firm, Arndt Municipal Support, to find a new city manager that yielded 40 applications in the process that resulted in Jackson’s hiring. He said he was intrigued by the amenities the city has, including its own electric utility and a city-owned data center, advanced communications utility and short-line railroad.

“I had in my mind what type of community I wanted to work in,” Jackson said. “There’s a lot of potential here, yet it’s a really small, compact, close-knit community. To get the things Rochelle has, you typically have to go to a much larger city. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work on all of those things. Those things are what I’m most excited about.”

Jackson also touted Rochelle’s proximity to two interstates and rail lines and the city owning its own airport for future economic development, which is one of his specialties. He said he takes a “holistic” approach to economic development, rather than putting all efforts into attempting to land one large development.

Housing and quality of life improvements will be components of Jackson’s approach to economic development in Rochelle in hopes to see new businesses locate in the city and existing businesses expand in the future.

“There has to be more of a housing solution and it has to be diverse housing with different types for different income levels,” Jackson said. “I want to explore the community’s housing needs. It used to be enough to have cheap land and cheap electricity to attract industrial development. That’s not what employers are looking for anymore. They’re going to look at schools and where employees are going to live and whether there’s an airport. All of that has to come together.”

Jackson said his first priority as city manager will be to learn everything he can about the community and its stakeholders, along with the city’s assets and finances.

“There’s an internal and external process for me as I approach a new position and community,” Jackson said. “The external process is about meeting as many people in the community as possible that are key stakeholders and listening to what the public has to say about the role and the services they’re used to experiencing. I want to listen to everyone’s asks and get them in front of policy makers. I get to see things as an outsider. From an internal standpoint, the city has a number of really competent department heads that are really good at doing their jobs. I want to learn what they’re doing really well and how I can augment that.”

Jackson got his first experience with city government as a young small business owner after growing up in an area of the country that had no zoning code. When he went and set up a business in another community and learned he needed a permit and talked to a city official about why, it piqued his interest in local government that has grown to today.

“I enjoy this work because I get a chance to be the change I want to see in the world every day,” Jackson said.