Joliet's New Deputy City Manager: 'This Isn’t Just A New Job. It’s Coming Home'

(The following edited press release came from Sydney Thompson at Joliet's City Hall.)

JOLIET, IL — The City of Joliet announced the appointment of Nolan Ming as its new deputy city manager. An Illinois native who grew up in nearby Yorkville, Ming brings more than 10 years of executive municipal leadership experience and a strong background in strategic planning, infrastructure,
organizational leadership, and fiscal management.

Most recently, he served as city administrator for McMinnville, Tennessee, where he led major capital projects, balanced the city’s operating budget without raising taxes, launched a citywide strategic plan, modernized the municipal code, and oversaw significant water and wastewater infrastructure improvements.

During his tenure, McMinnville was recognized with the Tennessee Municipal League’s 2026 Excellence in Overall Municipal Governance award, the organization’s highest honor for municipal government.

“Nolan brings the experience, leadership, and vision needed to help guide Joliet through one of the most exciting periods in our city’s history,” said Mayor Terry D’Arcy. “He understands what makes this community special, and we’re excited to welcome him home as we continue building on the momentum we’ve created.”

Ming succeeds former Deputy City Manager Christa Desiderio, who retired in early July after 26 years of service to the city of Joliet. He will relocate to Illinois with his family after
more than a decade in Tennessee.

“Joliet is a city at a genuinely exciting moment,” said Ming. “The work that Mayor D’Arcy, the City Council, and City Manager Beth Beatty are leading here is remarkable. The Lake Michigan water project, the Rock Run Collection, City Square, the downtown renaissance, and the Comprehensive Plan are all part of the same story. Joliet has become a destination. The
Crossroads of Mid-America. To join this team as Deputy City Manager at this moment in Joliet’s history is an extraordinary opportunity, and I’m ready to get to work.”

Returning to Illinois also carries personal significance for Ming, whose family has deep roots in the region.

“I’ve been coming to this area since the 1980s,” said Ming. “BMX racing at the YMCA, football games at Memorial Stadium, watching my friends play for St. Francis, basketball at the old Joliet Catholic gym when Plainfield was displaced by the 1990 tornado, baseball at Troy, the Louis Joliet Mall, the Crow’s Nest in Crest Hill, TNT’s; I even met Jay Hilgenberg there one night. I grew up in Yorkville, just minutes away, and this has always been my part of Illinois. My family still lives here. This isn’t just a new job. It’s coming home.”

Ming earned a Master of Public Administration from Northern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Science from Central Michigan University. He is an International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Credentialed Manager. He and his wife, Melissa, have five children and together they enjoy running and walking, working outdoors, the performing arts, and cheering on Chicago sports teams.