
Robert Layton has been involved in local government management for over 35 years. He served as City Manager from 1984 to 2008 for Urbandale, Iowa. Before going to Urbandale, he was an assistant to the City Manager in Des Moines, Iowa from 1980 to 1984; prior to that he was a budget analyst and public management intern for Kansas City, MO.
Bob earned a graduate degree in public administration from Syracuse University, and he earned a bachelor's degree in public administration from Drake University.
He is a member of the International City/County Management Association, a former president of the Iowa City/County Management Association and a former executive board member of the Iowa League of Cities.
His other activities include Chair of the City Finance Committee for the State of Iowa; Board of Directors for Public Technology Inc.; Board of Directors of Iowa Municipalities Workers Compensation Association; Board of Directors for Iowa One Call; Practitioner in Residence at Iowa State University; The Salvation Army Advisory Board; Wichita Art Museum, Inc. Board of Trustees; Adjunct Professor at Wichita State University; and United Way of the Plains Board of Directors.
Bob became Wichita's City Manager on February 2, 2009. He reports to a seven-member City Council and oversees 3,000+ employees, a $573 million annual budget and a $1.9 billion Capital Improvement Program.
View a list of Wichita's previous City Managers.