Who will be Wichita’s next city manager? Meet the three finalists

Three finalists will vie to become Wichita’s next city manager as longtime manager Robert Layton retires.

The finalists were chosen from 89 applicants, the city said Monday afternoon. The candidates:

• Mark Freitag, former chief administrative officer for Westminster, Colo.
• Dennis Marstall, county administrator for Lancaster County, S.C.
• Donte Martin, assistant city manager for Wichita

The three candidates will have on-site interviews starting Nov. 17. A forum with city residents is set for 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18, in Lotus Hall at Botanica, 701 Amidon.

Wichita City Council members met with the city’s search committee and a search consultant earlier Monday to narrow down its list of candidates.

“It was really around kind of their leadership skills, their commitment to wanting to be in Wichita,” search chair Jennifer McDonald said about the candidates, “leaning into innovation, interpersonal skills, like building trust and rapport and being collaborative.”

City officials said they hope to have the new manager in place before Layton leaves at the end of the year.

The city manager is responsible for daily operations of the city. The position oversees around 2,886 full-time employees and a $573 million annual budget, according to the city’s website.

The projected salary for the new manager is between $250,000 and $325,000.

Here’s what we know about the candidates:

Mark Freitag

Freitag was most recently the chief administrative officer for the city of Westminster, Colo. He resigned last year after serving about two years.

In a phone interview with The Eagle, Freitag said he resigned because the role “wasn’t the right fit.”

“It was a difficult thing to do,” Freitag said. “I had rebuilt the city team and had a lot of great initiatives, working in the community.”

During his time at Westminster, a Denver suburb with a population around 115,000, Freitag is credited with beginning two significant projects for the city: a drinking water facility and municipal courthouse.

Westminster had 1,125 full-time employees in 2025, according to the city’s website.

Earlier, Freitag was the chief executive officer for Janesville, Wis., for nine years.

Since his resignation from Westminster, Freitag said he’s taken the time off to be with family. When he saw the job opening for Wichita’s city manager, he said it felt like the right fit.

“Coming from outside of Wichita, I might be able to bring a little bit of a fresh set of eyes and perspective to both the city organization and the community,” Freitag said.

He has a bachelor’s degree from West Point Military Academy. He has master’s degrees from St. Mary College and the National War College.

His extensive military experience brought him into city management, including his time as garrison commander of Fort Hood, Texas, in 2010.

“The garrison commander is the Army’s equivalent to a city manager,” he said.

Dennis Marstall

Marstall has been the county administrator for Lancaster County, S.C., since 2021. Lancaster County is in the far north part of the state, directly south of Charlotte, N.C.

Marstall lists Manhattan, Kan., as his hometown, and he worked as an assistant city manager there before going to South Carolina.

If he is chosen for the job, Marstall said, he’s looking forward to being closer to family again.

“Being back in Kansas would allow me more time again with friends and family,” he said. “Which is always an enjoyable time.”

Marstall told the Queen City News that Lancaster County, which has a population of about 112,000, has seen an expansion in housing after investing in infrastructure.

Lancaster County Council Vice Chair Billy Mostellar said Marstall has been a leader during a period of growth for the county. Mostellar said Lancaster is the third-fastest growing county in South Carolina.

“I hate to see him leave if he does take this job,” Mostellar said.

County Chair Brian Carnes said he thinks Marstall will stick out among the candidates for city manager.

“I think he’ll be one of the stars out of the three,” Carnes said. “He’s just got that infectious personality, he loves people... You give him a task and he’s going to be on it.”

Lancaster County has around 684 full-time employees.

In working for a county government, Marstall said, he’s worked with different sizes of cities to meet their needs.

“I also have the experience of working with smaller governments, but also larger governments,” Marstall said. “So, I think Wichita is in that sweet spot in terms of size, budget, population, that . . . plays to my strengths.”

Marstall has a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University and a master’s degree from the University of Louisville.

Donte Martin

Martin has been with the city of Wichita since 2017.

He oversaw an investigation in 2022 over the city’s handling of the police text message scandal uncovered by The Wichita Eagle. That investigation found that officers involved were not disciplined appropriately.

Martin has steadily worked his way up through the city, starting as a neighborhood assistant in 2000.

He was appointed court administrator for municipal court in 2010 and has been interim superintendent of central inspection.

“I greatly appreciate the hard work of the City Manager Advisory Committee and thank the City Council for selecting me as a finalist,” Martin said in a statement to the Eagle. “Wichita is an exceptional community supported by dedicated and talented staff. I am excited about the opportunity to potentially serve as Wichita’s next City Manager.”

In the city’s Facebook post announcing the candidates, many commented voicing their support for Martin.

“Every encounter that I have had with Donte Martin, he has shown professionalism, respect, and compassion,” one commenter said.

He has a bachelor’s degree from Wichita State University and a master’s degree from Fort Hays State University. He also has a law degree from Washburn University.

This story was originally published November 10, 2025 at 4:26 PM.