Dr. H. Ed Flentje on Wednesday began serving as the interim City Manager for the City of Wichita. Mayor Carl Brewer and the Wichita City Council appointed Flentje interim City Manager on Dec. 18, following the Nov. 28 resignation of former City Manager George Kolb who served as City Manager since July 26, 2004. Flentje’s term as interim is scheduled to run through July 1.

Flentje is the director of the Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs at Wichita State University and a professor of public administration. He has been on the public administration faculty since 1979 and has been the school’s director since 1999.

Born and raised in Harper County, Flentje received an undergraduate degree from Emporia State University and a doctoral degree in political science from the University of Kansas. He has extensive experience in public management and public policy development. While on leave from the University (1986-88), he served as chair of the transition team for Governor-Elect Mike Hayden and as Secretary of the Kansas Department of Administration in Governor Hayden’s administration. He also served as director of the Kansas Division of State Planning and Research in the administration of Governor Robert F. Bennett (1975-79) and as legislative assistant to former U.S. Senator James B. Pearson of Kansas (1968-69). He earlier held administrative posts with the Illinois Board of Higher Education and Southern Illinois University (1969-75).

The City Manager, who reports to the seven-member Council, oversees 3,100 employees, a $500 million annual budget and a $2.4 billion Capital Improvement Program.

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