City Administrator Nolan Ming resigns
City Administrator Nolan Ming has announced that he will be leaving the city of McMinnville to accept the position of Deputy City Manager with the City of Joliet, Illinois. Famous as the setting for the Blues Brothers movie, Joliet sits in Will and Kendall Counties. Joliet is the third largest city in Illinois, with over 1,000 employees and a community of approximately 155,000 residents, situated in Will and Kendall Counties. Ming has served as McMinnville's City Administrator since 2019, having first joined the city in 2015 as Director of Community Development.
"Serving McMinnville has been one of the greatest honors of my life," said Ming. "This community gave me the opportunity to do meaningful work alongside extraordinary people, and I am deeply proud of what we have accomplished together. McMinnville is better, stronger, and more financially sound than it was seven years ago, and that is a credit to the Board, the staff, and the residents who believe in this city."
During Ming's tenure as City Administrator, the City achieved full structural balance in its operating budget for the first time in recent history, without a tax increase; delivered a $9.3 million civic center expansion on budget during the COVID-19 pandemic; advanced a $15.6 million water treatment plant now approximately 40 percent complete; reduced sewer inflow and infiltration by approximately 50% through CDBG grant projects; modernized the City's municipal code; and launched a citywide strategic plan. The city was also recognized with the Tennessee Municipal League's 2026 Excellence in Overall Municipal Governance Award, the League's highest recognition for overall governance performance.
Ming is an Illinois native who grew up in Yorkville, the county seat of Kendall County, located just minutes from Joliet. He holds a Master of Public Administration from Northern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Science from Central Michigan University. He is an ICMA Credentialed Manager. He will be returning home to Illinois with his family after more than a decade in Tennessee.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen will determine next steps for filling the city Administrator position and will share plans for the transition process in the coming days. Ming’s last day will be August 7th.
“There is a line from the Athenian Oath about transmitting your city greater, better and more beautiful than you found it,” Ming said. “I believe McMinnville is exactly that place. The team in place here is exceptional, and I expect this city to keep achieving great things. I am grateful beyond words.”