2023 LOC Board of Directors
The LOC is governed by a 16-member board of directors, of which one member is non-voting. The board consists of four officers (President, Vice President, Treasurer and Immediate Past President) who serve one-year terms in each role on a four-year rotation, and 12 directors who serve three-year terms. Nine directors are elected city officials, and three directors are appointed city staff. In the first year of the appointed city staff’s term, they are non-voting. During the final year of the appointed city staff’s term, they serve, with the four officers, on the board’s Executive Committee.
In addition, the Board is comprised of several non-voting members. Non-voting members may include past presidents who retain either an elected or appointed position with a member city, and elected officials appointed to represent an otherwise unrepresented region of the state. The LOC has divided the state into 12 distinct regions. If, after the annual election, the LOC President identifies a region of the state that will not be represented on the incoming board, the President and LOC Nominating Committee will identify an elected official from the unrepresented region to serve a one-year term of office.
Meet Your Executive Committee
PRESIDENT: Steve Callaway, Mayor, Hillsboro (pop. 107,618)
Mayor Callaway was elected to the Hillsboro City Council in November 2010, re-elected in 2014, and became mayor in 2016. His previous experience includes the city’s budget committee, the Hillsboro 2020 Vision Implementation Committee and the city’s planning commission. Additional community involvement includes the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve Board, the Hillsboro Library Foundation, the Boys and Girls Club and the Hillsboro Schools Foundation. Mayor Callaway recently retired from his position as a principal at Tobias Elementary School in Hillsboro.
VICE PRESIDENT: Dr. Dave Drotzmann, Mayor, Hermiston (pop. 19,749)
Mayor Drotzmann was elected mayor of the Hermiston City Council in 2012. He previously served on the LOC Board of Directors from 2017-2019 and was recognized as the League’s legislative advocate of the year in 2019. Prior to his city council service, Mayor Drotzmann served eight years on the Hermiston School District Board of Directors. He’s been actively involved for years with multiple community organizations, including the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, and the Hermiston Booster Club, as well as a coach of youth and high school sports programs. Dr. Drotzmann currently sits on the editorial team for The Oregon Way and is a partner in an eyecare practice in Hermiston.
TREASURER: Travis Stovall, Mayor, Gresham (pop. 114,833)
Mayor Stovall was elected mayor of Gresham in 2021. He makes history as the first Black mayor of any large city in the Portland metro area and across the state. A longtime Gresham resident, Mayor Stovall is the owner and CEO of eRep, Inc. He also serves as vice president of the TriMet Board of Directors and has been featured in The Oregonian for his dynamic leadership when serving as president of the Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center. Mayor Stovall’s lengthy history of volunteer service in local government includes the Gresham Community Development and Housing Subcommittee; as chair of the city’s Charter Review Committee; and the Gresham Task Force on Housing to help create affordable housing units.
SENIOR CITY MANAGER: John Walsh, City Administrator, St. Helens (pop. 14,355)
Mr. Walsh has overseen the day-to-day operations for the city of St. Helens since 2012. He previously served as the city manager of Myrtle Point, Ore. and held management roles in the cities of Centralia and Pacific, Wa. With more than 20 years of public sector experience, Mr. Walsh has led many large and complex capital improvement projects, including infrastructure and brownfield redevelopment projects, as well as several community and economic development initiatives. He is a credentialed city manager through the International City/County Management Association (ICMA-CM) and has earned recognition for excellence and good governance from the LOC.
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: Taneea Browning, Councilor, Central Point (pop. 19,786)
Councilor Browning is a native Oregonian, appointed in 2015 and elected in 2016 and 2020 to her current position. She has served on the Central Point Urban Renewal Agency and Budget Committee. Her commitments have also included the Central Point Visitor Information Center and the boards of the Rogue Valley Council of Governments, Medford Water Commission, and Jackson County Fire District No. 3. She is the founder of the public non-profit Direct Involvement Recreation Teaching, and is the managing partner of CraterWorks MakerSpace LLC in partnership with the Central Point School District.
Meet Your Directors
Robert Cowie, Councilor, Chiloquin (pop. 767)
Elected in November 2020, Councilor Cowie is serving in public office for the first time. He worked for more than 20 years at Sony Electronics in many capacities, including VP of Customer Insight, VP of the VAIO Technology Center, Director of Engineering, Director of Product Quality, and program management. His previous work experience also includes many years in the broadcast television and cable television industries. He currently is a customer experience consultant, helping businesses establish and grow their customer experience and employee engagement programs. (Term ends December 2024)
Rod Cross, Mayor, Toledo (pop. 3,651)
Mayor Cross has led the city of Toledo since 2018. He ran for mayor to restore stability and civility to the city, and believes his biggest accomplishment has been giving staff and citizens the tools to not just survive the recent pandemic but to thrive during it. Toledo has had more projects completed in the last two years than the previous several years, including launching the ART Toledo initiative, the urban renewal project, and coordinated efforts to improve the city of Toledo with its school system. Mayor Cross currently serves as the President-Elect of the Oregon Mayors Association. (Term ends December 2025)
Aaron Cubic, City Manager, Grants Pass (pop. 39,993)
Mr. Cubic has 17 years’ experience serving as a city manager in Oregon. He was appointed city manager in Grants Pass in 2012, and previously had served as city manager in Myrtle Point. Mr. Cubic also has 10 years’ experience in county government as a program manager and special district director. In 2014, he served as president of the Oregon City/County Management Association (OCCMA) and has been a member of multiple OCCMA committees, including Finance & Taxation, General Government, and Human Resources. An International City/County Management Association Credentialed Manager, Mr. Cubic is a graduate of the University of Virginia’s Senior Executive Institute and the ICMA Williamsburg Leadership Institute. (Non-voting position. Term ends December 2025)
David Emami, Councilor, Happy Valley (pop. 26,689)
Councilor Emami was appointed to Happy Valley City Council in 2019 and elected to a four-year term in 2020. Prior to his appointment, he served on the Happy Valley Planning Commission, the Parks Advisory Committee, the Clackamas County Street Light Budget Committee and was president of his HOA. Councilor Emami previously served on the LOC Bylaws Committee and is currently the treasurer for the Local Government People of Color Caucus. He also has extensive volunteer experience with local schools, state educational programs, local charities and non-profit organizations. Born and raised in Oregon, Councilor Emami earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Oregon State University. (Term ends December 2023)
Jessica Engelke, Mayor, North Bend (pop. 10,609)
Mayor Engelke was elected to North Bend’s first female mayor in November 2020. She is a longtime North Bend resident, invested in making Oregon’s south coast a better place. Mayor Engelke is a tenured business professor at Southwestern Oregon Community College and teaches a variety of business classes. She has more than 25 years of hands-on experience in the business community and is a former president of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. She and her husband Steven Ryan have two teenage daughters, Emily and Sophia. (Term ends December 2024)
Roberto Escobedo, Councilor, Nyssa (pop. 3,314)
Councilor Escobedo was elected in 2020 and is a volunteer with the Nyssa City Fire Department. He is a native and current resident of Nyssa and the second oldest of six children. Councilor Escobedo currently works as a wildland firefighter for the Snake River Valley program through the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. At a young age, he learned the value of hard work while working in the summer with his family in the fields. These values have never left him, and he practices them daily. Councilor Escobedo is committed to working hard for the region he represents and to helping rural Oregon communities evolve and grow, with a particular focus on diversity and inclusion. (Non-voting position. Term ends December 2023)
Carol MacInnes, Councilor, Fossil (pop. 440)
Councilor MacInnes has spent the past 30 years volunteering for her community through a broad range of service activities. She is currently an EMT-I for the local ambulance service, a reserve deputy for the sheriff's office, and a medicolegal death investigator for the district attorney's office, all in addition to her paying job as a victim advocate for Wheeler County. Elected in 2014, she served eight years as mayor and was appointed to the city council in 2023 after not running for re-election. Councilor MacInnes previously served on the Oregon Mayors Association Board of Directors, representing all east side rural communities and was proud to be on the OMA Taskforce to address homelessness. (Non-voting position. Term ends December 2023)
McKennon McDonald, Councilor, Pendleton (pop. 16,883)
Councilor McDonald was elected to the Pendleton City Council in 2014 and was re-elected in 2022 for a third term. In addition to serving as Council President, she currently serves on the Pendleton Airport Commission, Development Commission, Library Board, and Budget Committee. Councilor McDonald has also previously served on the LOC Conference Planning Committee and the LOC Nominating Committee, and was recently elected to the LOC Women's Caucus Board of Directors. Her commitments also include a full-time job with the InterMountain Education Service District, volunteering in the community in her free time, and being a wife and mother. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Portland, an M.A.T. from Eastern Oregon University, and most recently an Educational Administration degree from Lewis & Clark College. (Term ends December 2023)
Tita Montero, Councilor, Seaside (pop. 7,275)
A resident of Seaside since 2002, Councilor Montero served six years on her city’s tourism board prior to being appointed and elected to the Seaside City Council in 2010. Having been re-elected in 2014, 2018 and 2022, she is the longest-sitting elected city or county official in Clatsop County. Homelessness has been an important focus for her work. Her prior community commitments include serving on the boards of the Seaside Downtown Development Association, Clatsop Behavioral Health, Clatsop CASA and Clatsop Development Resources, as well as serving as president of the Seaside Chamber of Commerce. She currently serves on the Clatsop County Budget Committee, the Senior Advisory Council for Northwest Disabilities and Senior Services, and the Clatsop Citizen Review Board. Councilor Montero holds a bachelor’s degree in recreation administration and a master’s degree in library sciences, and her professional work includes health system and health plan executive management, and serving as executive director for Seaside Downtown Development Association. Councilor Montero assisted in the establishment of the LOC Women’s Caucus and currently serves as its president. (Term ends December 2025)
Beach Pace, Councilor, Hillsboro (pop. 107,618)
In her first run for elected office, Councilor Pace was elected to the Hillsboro City Council in 2018. She currently serves as the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of the Columbia NW and on the board of the Westside Queer Resource Center. Previously, she served at-risk youth as vice president and executive director of City Year San Jose/Silicon Valley. Councilor Pace holds a bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an MPA from Northern Michigan University. She served in the U.S. Army in the Ordnance branch both domestically and overseas as a Bomb Squad Executive Officer and Commander. (Term expires: December 2023)
Chalice Savage, Councilor, Cottage Grove (pop. 10,729)
Councilor Savage was appointed on national Women's Day, Math 8, 2021 and then elected in November 2022. She previously spent 15 years in the medical field before working as an executive assistant to a local entrepreneur. Currently, she is an executive assistant at Cascade Medical Associates. Councilor Savage also owns her own photography business. (Term ends December 2024)
Kenna West, City Manager, Independence (pop. 10,170)
Ms. West is a native Oregonian with her roots firmly planted in rural towns. She has served the city of Independence since May 2022. She previously served the cities of Willamina and Salem and Marion County for more than a decade. Ms. West came to government service following a career as a lawyer. She holds a juris doctorate from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College, and was in private practice for more than a decade. Along with her love of community, she is also passionate about equine rescue and care. When she isn’t serving her beautiful city of Independence, her energy is focused on helping abused and neglected horses, and training and racing her barrel horses. (Term ends December 2024)
Ted Wheeler, Mayor, Portland (pop. 647,697)
Mayor Wheeler has led the city of Portland since 2017. He was elected chair of Multnomah County in 2006 and took office in 2007, where he balanced the county budget during the worst years of the recession and reduced debt while maintaining safety net programs for vulnerable populations. Mayor Wheeler was then appointed to the office of Oregon State Treasurer in 2010 and elected to the position in 2012. He earned an undergraduate degree in economics from Stanford University, and later received an MBA from Columbia University’s business school, as well as a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. (Term ends December 2023)
Recent Past Presidents
Keith Mays, Mayor, Sherwood - 2021
Mayor Mays was re-elected in March and November of 2018. He previously served four years as council president and eight years as mayor of Sherwood from 2005-13. Over the past 20-plus years, Mayor Mays has served as president of the Oregon Mayors Association, the Sherwood Chamber of Commerce, the Friends of Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge and the Willamette River Water Coalition. He has also served as a member of Metro’s MPAC and on several LOC committees. A resident of Sherwood for more than 20 years, Mayor Mays is a Rotarian and currently sits on boards and committees for several local and regional non-profit and government organizations.
Greg Evans, Councilor, Eugene - 2019
Council President Evans has been a member of the Eugene City Council since 2013. In that time he has served on the city’s Budget Committee, Human Rights Commission, Human Services Commission, Public Safety Coordinating Council, and Public Safety Coordinating Council-Youth Services Subcommittee. He also currently served as the 2017-18 chair of the National League of Cities’ Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the University Cities Council. Greg is an educator, civil/human rights activist and transportation policy advocate, and serves as the Interim Chief Diversity Officer for Lane Community College.
John McArdle, Mayor, Independence - 2010
Mayor McArdle was first elected as the mayor of Independence in 1998. He is a board member of the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments, chair of the Mid-Willamette Economic Development Partnership board, and a member of the Governor’s Homeland Security Council. McArdle was a member of the Oregon Mayors Association board from 2002 to 2005, serving as its president in 2004. He retired as the Director of Development at Linn-Benton Community College.
2023 Board Meetings
The board has five regularly scheduled meetings throughout the year. Additional meetings are scheduled as needed and will be noticed on the website. Meetings, unless otherwise noted, are open to the public.
| January 24 | 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Detroit |
| April 24 | 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Seaside |
| June 23 | 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Hillsboro |
| October 11 | 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Eugene |
| December 15 | 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | TBD |
Board and Committee Meeting Materials
A meeting notice, agenda packet and minutes are prepared for each meeting. To request audio recordings, please contact LOC staff.