Ron began his work with the city in January 1982 as the Parks and Forestry Supervisor and was promoted in 1984 to Parks and Recreation Administrative Superintendent. In 1986, Ron was promoted to the Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation and became Assistant City Manager in December 1992. He served as Acting City Manager from April 1995 through November 1995 and December 1999 through April 2000, served as the Acting Director of Human Resources for several months in 1997, and served as the Acting Director of Utilities for several months in 1998 and again in 1999. Following a national search, Ron was named Manhattan's eighth City Manager on April 17, 2000. As City Manager, Ron is responsible for the overall operations of the city and implementation of the policies of the city commission.
Ron received his bachelor of science degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in May 1981 and received his master's degree in public administration from Kansas State University in December 1990.
Ron is a member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA); the Kansas Association of City/County Management (KACM), where he is a past member of the board of directors; a 1997 graduate of the Leadership Kansas Program and was local program chair for 2001; and a graduate of the Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program and serves on the board of trustees. Ron also served on the Association of the United States Army Fort Riley Chapter Board of Governors.
Locally, Ron is a charter member and past president of the Manhattan Konza Rotary Club, an ex-officio member of the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Chamber's Economic Development Committee, and is a Past Chair of the Board of Directors for the Flint Hills Breadbasket.
In 2014, Ron received the Buford M. Watson Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Management, the highest award offered by the Kansas Association of City/County Management.
Ron's wife, Renee, is a preschool special education teacher in USD 323 school district. Ron and Renee have two sons, Bret and Alec, and a daughter, Jill.