SALEM, Ore. – In a special virtual meeting Tuesday evening, the League of Oregon Cities (LOC) Board of Directors formally appointed Patty Mulvihill as the LOC’s Interim Executive Director and unanimously approved a process for recruiting the organization’s next permanent director.
Mulvihill, who joined the LOC as assistant general counsel in 2016, has served as general counsel for the past five years. Prior to joining the LOC, she served as the city attorney for the city of Bloomington, Ind. for 10 years. Mulvihill will serve as the LOC’s interim executive director until the position is filled permanently. The LOC Board accepted the resignation of previous executive director Mike Cully on December 20, 2021.
“During this interim period, Patty Mulvihill’s day-to-day leadership will provide the steady, thoughtful direction the LOC needs at this critical time,” said LOC President Taneea Browning.
During Tuesday’s meeting, the LOC Board also appointed Jayme Hafner to the position of interim general counsel. Hafner has served as assistant general counsel for the LOC since 2017 and previously worked for the Oregon Department of Justice’s Government Services section.
A third outcome of the meeting was the board’s approval of a long-term process for hiring the organization’s next permanent executive director. This process first requires the board to complete the development of a five-year strategic plan, then engage in an open, national recruiting
effort to find the LOC’s next chief executive. Led by the Coraggio Group, a Portland-based consulting firm, the current strategic planning process is underway and is expected to last into the summer. The executive director recruitment would then commence in the fall, first with the hiring of a recruiting firm. The candidate profile used in the recruitment will be derived from the fully developed and approved strategic plan.
“The 2022 strategic planning process and the recruitment of the next executive director represent pivotal and defining moments for the LOC,” President Browning added. “The characteristics of our next leader, the competencies they must display, and their fit within our organization, will be best defined through the strategic planning process.”
About the League of Oregon Cities
Founded in 1925, the League of Oregon Cities (LOC) is a voluntary association representing all
241 of Oregon’s incorporated cities. The LOC helps city governments serve their citizens by
providing legislative advocacy services, policy consultation, intergovernmental relations
assistance, networking and training, technical assistance, and publications.