After working in DeKalb for more than nine years, Gary Boden, assistant city manager, will leave to take a position as city manager in Whitewater, Wisconsin.

“On Monday this week, I was able to set the contract with the city of Whitewater.

“It’s an opportunity to find a new community for my family,” Boden said. “I’ve spent 12 years in DeKalb. There is some trepidation for leaving,” he added.

Boden became a full-time city employee in 1983 and has held several positions, said Mark Stevens, DeKalb city manager.

“Gary has done a great job for the city. I have every expectation he will do well (in Whitewater),” Stevens said.

April 24 is Boden’s last day. Stevens said he does not expect to make a selection for Boden’s replacement until July.

Because Finance Director Doug Merrill left in March, both positions will be vacant, Stevens said.

Boden said his career has evolved. “I’ve had a very successful tenure here being promoted into a variety of positions that have ultimately wound up at the position of assistant city manager,” Boden said.

“I’ve had the opportunity to develop different types of roles and responsibilities for assistant city manager that previous to three years ago had not existed in DeKalb for a period of 10 or 12 years prior,” he added.

“I’m going into a community that has a well-established acceptance of professional administrative government,” he said.

Boden said there are a lot of parallels between DeKalb and his future home because both are university towns located near urban centers.

“The community has a very active economical development again comparable to DeKalb,” he said.

“The obvious difference is that I’m the assistant city manager here and I will be the city manager in Whitewater and that does have additional responsibilities,” Boden said.

“I’ve had to deal with a variety of different issues and those unique experiences of working in a university town I think lend themselves to managing up my opportunities of getting my Whitewater city manager job,” he said.

Boden said he is looking forward to the additional responsibility he will have.

“It has the opportunity I believe I’m ready for and obviously the city of Whitewater agrees,” Boden said.