The Executive Leadership of the city of Newberg is comprised of the three positions directly appointed by the Newberg City Council. This includes the City Manager, City Attorney, and Municipal Judge.
City Manager: Will Worthey
The City Manager is the Chief Executive Officer of the City and responsible for the overall management of its operations. Will Worthey became interim City Manager in 2021. After six months as an interim he was persuaded by junior staff to compete for the permanent position six months later. Worthey worked for more that 30 years in school and public libraries and is still a children's librarian at heart! He has brought the value of care and organizational skills from his former profession to apply to his new role as City Manager. Worthey (the first person in his family to attend a university) has a baccalaureate degree in History, a master's degree in library science, and in 2024 completed his executive master's degree in public administration from Portland State University. Worthey was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi national honor society in 2024.
The City Manager works in close partnership with the Mayor and City Councilors who are responsible for setting the policy direction for the City organization. The City Manager strives to operationalize the councils' goals and aspirations See the City's 2025 Goals.
Worthey leads the employees of the city to accomplish the goals and priorities set by City Council, always encouraging staff to embody our shared STRIVE values.
City Attorney: James Walker
Public Law
James regularly advises public bodies including Newberg on a variety of issues, including compliance with Oregon’s public contracting code; conducting public meetings; responding to public records requests in accordance with Oregon’s public meetings and records law; drafting local ordinances; and developing rules of order and conduct for use at public meetings. As general counsel for the city, the city attorney advises on a broad range of matters, including real estate, land use, transportation, public finance, economic development, utilities and franchises, public records and meetings, grants, contracts and procurements, intellectual property, bankruptcy, collections, ethics, civil rights, labor and employment, torts, risk management, workers' compensation, elections, legislation and all other areas of law under which the city operates.
As directed by the city council, the city attorney also files and/or defends civil suits at trial and on appeal.
Municipal Court Judge: Larry Blake
Larry J. Blake Jr. joined the City of Newberg in 2010. He has been practicing law since 1987 and started his Judging career in 1996. He currently serves as a Municipal Court Judge for 14 courts in Oregon. In Newberg Municipal Court he hears a wide range of cases weekly, including city code violations, parking, traffic and criminal cases that happen within the city limits.
Judge Blake will often offer an informal resolution on cases for young adults or parties with a good driving record. Judge Blake often works with low-level offenders who struggle with housing, mental health problems and addiction while giving them resources from local non-profit agencies. In addition to his private practice, he continues his public sector work by serving as a Municipal Court Judge for several cities throughout the state.
Judge Blake is currently a municipal court judge for the cities of Happy Valley, Sweet Home, Philomath, Manzanita, Newberg, Monroe, Corvallis, Amity, and Carlton, and has appeared as a Judge Pro Tem for various cities when needed.
| Department Name | First Name | Last Name | Profession | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administration | Will | Worthey | City Manager | will.worthey@newbergoregon.gov | (503) 537-1256 |
| Legal | James | Walker | City Attorney | james.walker@newbergoregon.gov | (503) 224-5858 |
| Courts | Larry | Blake | Municipal Judge | court@newbergoregon.gov |
