Chambana Sun

For Champaign City Council member Will Kyles, serving his community is more than a job. Much more.

It is a ministry of sorts, to which he feels personally called; and his outlook on leadership is to build relationships with as many people as possible.

“I believe that I was called to serve people — it is my God-given purpose in life," Kyles told Chambana Sun. "Jesus once said, ‘If you want to be great, serve!’ It's interesting that He didn't just reference serving people that you like or get along with.”

Will Kyles | Courtesy of Will Kyles

While not all of them in local government, Kyles has always sought out positions that have allowed him to serve his community — wherever the need may be. 

“I have been blessed to serve in several capacities, starting with my family, my church, city council, the Army Reserves, and several other boards and workgroups,” Kyles said. “As mentioned earlier, God called me to serve and it is evident in my work.”

Kyles is working hard to ensure that Champaign remains a unified community, and becomes even more so in the future, by bringing opportunities to all residents regardless of their backgrounds or demographics.

“My goal in my position at city council is to serve passionately, knowledgeably and unapologetically,” Kyles said. “Specifically, I would like to continue to close the gap on our racial disparities, expand our downtown, grow our workforce through skilled trades and, overall, create an environment that everyone truly can prosper in.”

While there is already a lot to love about Champaign, Kyles sees plenty of room for improvement and plans to take his role seriously.

“I want to change the community by continuing to build partnerships and working with people, even those that I may not see eye-to-eye with," Kyles said. "I also want to continue working through tough issues that plague our community, all while celebrating our forward progress."