OLYMPIA, Wash. — Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring has been elected secretary of the Association of Washington Cities (AWC). Nehring took office following the annual AWC Business Meeting held on June 20, 2024, during the AWC Annual Conference.

“It has been an honor to represent the City of Marysville and neighboring cities on the AWC board, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to step into this leadership role as secretary,” said Nehring. “I am committed to ensuring that all of our cities and towns are represented as we advocate for and enact common sense solutions to the pressing issues facing our communities.”

Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers congratulated Nehring on his election, saying “Mayor Nehring brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to advocacy to the position of secretary of AWC. His proven leadership at the local and regional levels will be a tremendous asset to communities across Washington in this new role.”

“Mayor Nehring is an experienced leader who knows how to bring people together to get results,” said AWC CEO Deanna Dawson. “His leadership as secretary will be invaluable in our efforts to build a strong future for our 281 Washington cities and towns.”

The secretary serves on the association’s board of directors and executive committee and is second in line to become president. The board is comprised of 25 directors, 23 of whom are mayors or city councilmembers from Washington cities or towns, and two non-elected city officials who also serve as the president and past president of the Washington City/County Management Association.

More than 450 attendees representing over 130 cities and towns across Washington attended the AWC Annual Conference to learn about issues critical to the success of cities. The theme of this year’s conference was Livable, loveable cities, and keynote speaker Peter Kageyama shared his ideas on harnessing the passion people feel for the places they live to help build thriving communities. A highlight of the conference was a panel of distinguished leaders speaking to civic health and how cities are leading the way through divisive times. Sessions on infrastructure, emergency management, budgeting, legal requirements, the fentanyl crisis, and a wide array of other important topics rounded out the conference agenda.

Mayor Nehring has served on the AWC board since 2013 and is a member of the AWC Audit Committee. He has served as mayor since August of 2010. Prior to that, he spent more than eight years on the Marysville City Council, after gaining over 16 years of business and management experience in the private sector.

In addition to over 20 years of experience as a local elected official, Nehring brings a range of knowledge and perspective from his volunteer service on the Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board, Community Transit Board, Economic Alliance Snohomish County Board, WSU North Puget Sound Advisory Committee, and Snohomish County 911 Board, which he chairs.

Founded in 1933, the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) is a nonprofit corporation that represents Washington’s 281 cities and towns. AWC’s mission is to build connections between Washington state’s diverse cities and towns, while providing their members with the support needed to thrive through delivery of data-driven education, nationally recognized pooling programs, and nonpartisan advocacy. Membership is voluntary; however, AWC consistently maintains 100 percent participation from Washington’s 281 cities and towns.

A complete list of AWC board of directors is available on the association’s  website.