(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa League of Cities have announced Mayor Shawnna Silvius, of Red Oak, was elected to serve on the Iowa Mayors Association Executive Committee. Silvius became an executive committee member on September 28 during the Iowa Mayors Association Annual Business Meeting, held in conjunction with the League’s Annual Conference & Exhibit in Waterloo. Mayor Silvius was nominated by Mayor Matt Walsh of the City of Council Bluffs.

Mayor Walsh has served as the Southwest Iowa representative and as the Chair on the Executive Committee. Walsh and the Executive Committee identified Mayor Silvius as one they feel will provide strong future leadership, not only from her role as Red Oak’s Mayor but also based on her regional leadership and her professional experiences in her career as the Economic Development Planner with Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA).

Silvius says, “I am truly humbled to have been identified by Mayor Walsh and the Executive Committee. As a newly elected mayor with so many other extra-ordinary mayors in our region to choose from, I am absolutely honored. While I feel I have much to learn from all my mayor colleagues, I am eager to actively engage to further collaborate and share whatever skills, knowledge, network and voice I can to proudly represent Southwest Iowa and to further the advancement of our fellow mayors across the state.”

Red Oak Mayor Shawnna Silvius (Photo provided)

The Iowa League of Cities formed the Mayor’s Association several years ago in an effort to help Iowa’s mayors better understand the intricacies of their job responsibilities; doing so by fostering collaboration between mayoral colleagues while sharing their best practices. The Association is responsible for adopting policies to provide direction to the association, establishing membership fees and providing direction to the organization.

Mayor Silvius will be serving along with Mayors Mike Porsch of Storm Lake (pop 10,600), Dean Andrews of Charles City (pop 7,351), Courtney Clarke of Waukee (pop 23,940), Caleb Housh of Seymour (pop 634), Lorraine Borowski of Decorah (pop 8,127) and Louise From of University Heights (pop 1,228). The first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 11.

The Iowa Mayors Association membership elects seven executive committee members to two-year terms.