Chambana Sun

The City of Champaign has announced the appointment of Nancy L. Rabel as the new Deputy City Manager, effective December 16, 2024. Rabel brings over 25 years of experience in municipal administration and legal practice to her new role. She has been with the City of Champaign since 2021, previously serving as Assistant Director of Human Resources and Assistant City Attorney.

Deputy City Manager Joan Walls stated, “Nancy’s extensive public administration and wide-ranging legal experience made her the clear choice to serve as Champaign’s next Deputy City Manager. She has consistently demonstrated her leadership skills by steadily advancing through positions with increasing levels of responsibility and a demonstrated passion for public service. I’m pleased to have Nancy join the City’s executive team and I know she’ll continue to be a great asset to our community and the City organization.”

Rabel expressed her enthusiasm for her new position: “It’s an honor to serve as the City of Champaign’s next Deputy City Manager. Champaign has a long history of employing exceptionally strong and caring leaders and I look forward to building upon that legacy. I’m excited to take on this opportunity to work with the City Manager, the Mayor and Council, and City staff in this new position and look forward to continuing to have a meaningful impact on the lives of Champaign’s residents.”

Before joining Champaign's city government, Rabel worked at various private law firms, served as the City Administrator/General Counsel for Canton, Illinois, and was an Administrative Law Judge for the Illinois Labor Relations Board.

Rabel holds a Juris Doctor from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago (now part of University of Illinois Chicago School of Law), a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, and an Associate degree from Spoon River College in Canton.