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.