Corvallis City Manager Honored with Statewide Award for Exceptional Contributions
October 6, 2025 - Corvallis City Manager Mark Shepard received the Herman Kehrli Award from the League of Oregon Cities at the organization's 100th annual conference in Portland over the weekend. The prestigious award is given to one (1) city employee in Oregon each year who has made exceptional contributions to local government and produced lasting benefits for their community.
Shepard's award comes as he marks 10 years as city manager in Corvallis. Over the last decade, the City of Corvallis has made great strides in fiscal stewardship. Under Shepard's leadership, the City identified and implemented a number of revenue and funding measures to support vital community services. Corvallis also weathered the pandemic without the hiring freezes and layoffs that other cities dealt with.
Shepard remained focused on long-term needs as well. In 2021, the City launched a multi-year facilities project to address decades of under-investment in key public buildings in Corvallis. An increasing focus on housing production helped Corvallis add nearly 350 units of affordable multifamily housing in recent years, with more on the way.
“Serving the Corvallis community, a place I have called home for the past 33 years, is an honor," Shepard said. "I consider success a team sport, and the City is served by an amazing team of dedicated staff. It is my privilege to lead the organization that delivers vital services each and every day to our community."
The unique structure of the Corvallis City Council — all nine council seats are on the ballot every two years — means that Shepard has had the distinction of working with 30 different elected officials over the last decade (28 Councilors and 2 Mayors). That perspective has helped him understand the benefits of remaining focused on strategic planning to ensure sustainable community services and efficient City operations.
About the Herman Kehrli Award
From 1933 to 1966, Herman Kehrli served as executive secretary of the League of Oregon Cities and director of the University of Oregon’s former Bureau of Governmental Research and Service. His work set the standard for excellence for local government officials in Oregon, and the League of Oregon Cities gives out an annual award in Kehrli's honor to celebrate those who continue that work.
