Mark Watson

Mark Watson has announced his retirement as city manager of Oak Ridge after more than a dozen years with the city. Watson has 47 years of public service including serving as a city manager in eight cities in four states. Watson had served as the city administrator of Yuma, Arizona, before coming to Oak Ridge in 2010. He also held city management positions in Montana, Texas, and Tennessee before coming to Oak Ridge. Watson holds a bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas and a doctorate in public administration from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. A second-generation city manager, Watson received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Ciy Management from the University of Kansas and was the recipient of ICMA’s 2022 Award for Career Development in Memory of L.P. Cookingham.