Mayor Rahm Emanuel today named Randy Conner as the new Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Water Management (DWM) and will submit his nomination for City Council approval. Conner will replace Barrett Murphy, who has submitted his resignation to the Mayor.

“I want to thank Barrett Murphy for his many years of public service, and I wish him well in the future,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Randy Conner’s extensive track record of experience strengthening City infrastructure and improving City services for residents will allow him to hit the ground running at the Department of Water Management.”

Conner has significant experience with City infrastructure, having worked at the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation (DSS) for more than 20 years. Currently, Conner is First Deputy Commissioner of CDOT, where he implemented a grid system for addressing potholes and lighting issues to improve crew efficiency and reduce overtime. Further, he achieved additional departmental efficiency by distributing the Aldermanic Menu funds earlier in the season to allow crews to better plan and complete work during the same construction year, reducing carryover construction projects to 10 percent. He also previously served as a Deputy Commissioner/Project Manager at CDOT’s Division of Sign Management. In this role, he was instrumental in lowering the amount of time it took to replace signs after receiving notifications through the Citizens Service Request (CSR) system.

Previously, Conner served as First Deputy Commissioner at DSS, where he oversaw the day-to-day operations and administration of the Department. Most notably, he helped to implement the grid garbage system, which changed DSS’ garbage collection routes from non-linear ward geography to a system of routes bordered by main streets and natural boundaries. The service model concentrates sanitation workers in targeted areas of the city each day and creates balanced service regions to improve daily collection performance. The initial roll out of the system began in 2012 and allowed DSS to reduce its average daily deployment by more than 40 garbage trucks.

“I appreciate this opportunity that Mayor Emanuel has given me. It is a task I do not take lightly, but with my background in engineering and construction and over 20 years of operational knowledge in the private and public sectors, we will be able to complete the Mayor’s goal of Building a New Chicago.”

Conner will be charged with overseeing Mayor Emanuel’s Building a New Chicago program at DWM, which, to date, has replaced 470 miles of water main, 102 miles of sewer main and has relined 271 miles of existing sewer. Additionally, he will continue the popular Meter Save program, which installs water meters in Chicago homes to save residents money and promote water conservation.

Conner attended Purdue University, where he studied Engineering and Construction Principles, and is certified in Emergency Action Plan (NIMS) by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Conner lives in the West Pullman neighborhood and is the father to one daughter, Kaylan.

Conner’s appointment is subject to City Council approval. He will begin in an interim capacity on June 3.

###