OMPA Board Member Robert Johnston tapped as 2013 Don Rider Award winner
Robert Johnston, City Manager for the City of Frederick, is the recipient of the 2013 Don Rider Award. He was presented the award during last night’s Oklahoma Municipal League Annual Awards Banquet in Tulsa.
Johnston is the twenty-sixth recipient of the award, which honors the late Don Rider, former OML executive director. The citation, named in his memory, recognizes a local official who has made outstanding long-term commitments to his or her community.
Johnston has 31 years in Oklahoma municipal service as Administrative Assistant/Public Works Director at Clinton; City Manager of Tonkawa and for the past 20 years as City Manager of Frederick. He is one of 11 Oklahoma city managers who has earned status as a Credentialed Manager by the International City/County Management Association.
Beginning in 1997 he served simultaneously as president of the Boards of Directors of the City Management Association of Oklahoma, the Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma and the Frederick Rotary Club. Johnston was president of the Oklahoma Municipal League Board of Directors for the 2009-2011 term. He was a member of the Oklahoma Water Quality Management Advisory Council from 1997-2004; including serving as chairman from 1999-2000 and again in 2002.
The other finalist for the award was Randy Lunistra, Vice Mayor for Bethany, Oklahoma.
