Evanston Police Chief Schenita Stewart is pulling double duty at City Hall, taking on the role of acting deputy city manager while the city searches for a permanent hire and a new fire chief simultaneously.

Stewart will continue leading the Evanston Police Department while temporarily overseeing additional city departments, according to a report published Wednesday, Aug. 5, by the Evanston RoundTable. The city is currently interviewing candidates for the permanent deputy city manager position.

The appointment means Stewart is bridging two senior leadership gaps at once. The deputy city manager post was held by Carina Sánchez as recently as July 25, when she appeared alongside City Manager Luke Stowe at an Environment Board meeting to discuss Northwestern University's Ryan Field sustainability plan. The circumstances of Sánchez's departure have not been publicly detailed.

Stewart's expanded responsibilities arrive during the FY2027 budget season and overlap with several high-profile city projects: the Northlight Theatre development, the new Foster Elementary School at 1600 Simpson St. (scheduled to hold its grand opening celebration Friday, Aug. 7), and Northwestern's new 35,000-seat Ryan Field, set to open Oct. 2 against Penn State.

The scope of the acting role is significant. As deputy city manager, the position typically carries oversight of multiple operational departments beyond the police department, though the city has not specified which divisions Stewart will manage in the interim.

Stowe and Stewart appeared together at the Evanston Police Department's National Night Out block party on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at EPD headquarters, 1454 Elmwood Ave. At that event, Stewart told the RoundTable, "National Night Out reminds us that public safety is a shared responsibility."

The remark was made in the context of the block party, not the appointment. Neither Stewart nor Stowe has made a public statement specifically addressing the dual-role arrangement.

No timeline has been announced for when the permanent deputy city manager hire or fire chief search will conclude. Interviews for the deputy city manager position are underway.