During the July 18 City Council meeting, the City Council honored Director of Information Technology Chad Michaelis, who is retiring after serving this City for 18 years in this capacity.
Under his leadership, Michaelis created significant advancements in the City’s use of technology. Among these are the City’s early transition from physical servers to cloud services, which securely streamlined the City’s data storage needs. He also led the City in creating digital solutions to allow City business to continue during COVID-19 shutdowns.
As the City’s second Director of Information Technology, Michaelis excelled in managing every aspect of the City’s technology, ensuring all City departments were well-equipped with systems needed to serve the community. Before working for the City, Michaelis previously was employed in the private sector, most recently at Deloitte.
“It’s astounding how technology has changed over the past 18 years, and the City has been fortunate to have Chad steering the way for us,” said City Manager Michael Dzugan. “The public doesn’t see the work of the City’s I.T. Department, yet every department in the City and every system the public uses to interact with the City somehow depends on I.T. – from our police squad car dash cameras to our financial systems to our building permits and everything in between. Chad’s skill and dedication in ensuring the City’s systems run smoothly and securely have been outstanding.”
Assistant Director of Information Technology Patrick Keegan will become the new Director of Information Technology upon Michaelis’s retirement. Keegan started with the City of Wheaton in 2012. Prior to working in Wheaton, he held several roles for the City of Evanston, including GIS Manager. He holds a Master’s Degree in Software Development and has extensive knowledge of internal systems and operations, which will allow him to successfully lead the I.T. Team.