Susan Sherman, assistant city manager, has received the International City/County Manager’s Association (ICMA) Award for Career Development in Memory of L.P. Cookingham.  The award recognizes an outstanding local government administrator who has made a significant contribution to the career development of new talent in professional local government management. 

Sherman began her career in Olathe in 1989 and has served as assistant city manager since 1994. Sherman has been an active member of ICMA since 1988.  In September, Sherman was elected to a three-year term as ICMA Mountain Plains Vice President.  She has served as co-chair of ICMA’s Task Force on Leadership (2013-14) and as a member of its Task Force on Governance (2001-03).

In 2013, she received an ICMA Service Award in recognition of her 25 years of service to local government. In 2009, Sherman, City Manager John Michael Wilkes, and Olathe, received ICMA’s Program Excellence Award for Community Partnership (populations of 50,000 and greater) for the city’s development of the KSU-Olathe Innovation Campus. In 2006, Ms. Sherman also received the Assistant Excellence in Leadership Award in Memory of Buford M. Watson, Jr. The award recognizes a local government management professional who has made significant contributions toward excellence in leadership while serving as an assistant to a chief local government administrator or department head.