City Managers Nominated for 2025 Gerald Wilkins Award for Most Outstanding City Administrator

Six City Managers across the State of Oklahoma have been nominated for the prestigious Gerald Wilkins Award for 2025. The award is presented by the City Management Association of Oklahoma (CMAO) and the winner will be announced at the Awards Banquet for the Annual CMAO Summer Conference on July 24, 2025, which will be held in Lawton.

The recipient of the Gerald Wilkins Award is credited with strengthening the city management form of government through their stable length of service to cities, dedication to civic activities, and participation in and contribution to CMAO and the International City Management Association (ICMA). Recipients must have fully accepted the principles of ethics as outlined in the ICMA Code of Ethics and applied these ethical principles to his or her conduct in the field of city management.

Meet the Nominees

Shaun Barnett, City Manager of Woodward, has been involved in city administration in Oklahoma for over 8 years and has served that entire time in Woodward. He also serves on the Board of Directors for CMAO for over 7 years, as well as dedicating his limited free time by being an active member of Kiwanis since 2006. Mr. Barnett was nominated by a current colleague with support from the Kiwanis Club of Woodward.

Robert Johnston, City Manager of Clinton, has been involved in city administration in Oklahoma for nearly 40 years and served the municipalities of Tonkawa, Frederick, and Clinton, where he has served since 2020. He is currently a Trustee for the Oklahoma Municipal Retirement Fund and has previously service on the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Municipal League (OML), the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA), the Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma (MESO), and was President of CMAO in 1997-1998. Mr. Johnston was nominated by a colleague and friend.

Jason Orr, City Manager of Chandler, has been involved in city administration for over 12 years and has served the communities of Lexington, Newkirk, Piedmont, and Chandler, where he was appointed in 2022. He is the current President of the Lincoln County E911 Trust Authority and the Chandler Lions Club, Opry Heritage Foundation of Oklahoma and is a Past President of CMAO. Mr. Orr was nominated by an employee in Chandler.

Shane Pate, City Manager of Nichols Hills, has been involved in city administration for over 8 years and has served that entire time in Nichols Hills. He also serves as a Trustee for the University of Central Oklahoma Foundation and the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA). He is also an International Real Estate Advisor for the International Fraternity of Pi Kappa Alpha. Mr. Pate was nominated by a Council Member and colleague.

Chuck Ralls, City Manager of Collinsville, has been involved in city administration for 9 years and served the City of Comanche for 8 years before being appointed in Collinsville in 2024. He has participated in number civic groups including the local Chamber of Commerce, Great Plains Country Tourism Board, Pathways to Healthy Living, where he also served as the Chairman of the SafeKids Committee. Mr. Ralls was nominated by former employees.

David Tillotson, City Manager of Glenpool, has been involved in city administration for over 18 years and has served in Catoosa and Glenpool. He is also a Past President of CMAO and currently serves as the Vice-Chair of Oklahoma Municipal Management Services (OMMS), a board member for the Indian National Council of Governments (INCOG) and as the District 2 Advisory Board Member for Oklahoma Municipal League (OML). Mr. Tillotson was nominated by a Council Member and multiple colleagues.

CMAO Executive Director and past winner of the Gerald Wilkins Award, Steve Whitlock says  “congratulations to these dedicated municipal managers for their outstanding leadership and commitment to professional government in Oklahoma. Their hard work and vision has earned them these well-deserved nominations which exemplifies their excellence in public service and their commitment to positive change in our communities!"

Moore City Manager Brooks Mitchell, the current CMAO President states, “winning the Gerald Wilkins Award is a great achievement but being recognized as a nominee is just as big of an honor. These nominations typically come from colleagues, staff members, or community leaders so for them to acknowledge the work that it takes to be a great City Manager is half the battle to making the community a better place to live, work, and play.”

Congratulations to all the nominees and thank you for your commitment to the city management profession!

About City Management Association of Oklahoma

The City Management Association of Oklahoma (CMAO) is a professional association of city managers, assistant city managers and other professional managers in municipal government in the state of Oklahoma. CMAO promotes the proficiency of city managers and administrators; assists in the improvement of city administration; and acts as a clearinghouse for information on matters of interest to all local governments. As of March 2020, CMAO has contracted with Oklahoma Municipal Management Services (OMMS) to manage the day-to-day operations of the association.