Paul Rehn has been named the recipient of the 2026 Morris F. Neighbor Community Impact Award, Marion Mayor Nick AbouAssaly and Chamber President Jill Ackerman announced Monday during the Marion State of the City address.
Mr. Rehn, a longtime public servant, moved to Marion with his wife, Ann, and their young family in 1969.
His service to the community spans nearly six decades, including 12 years on the Marion City Council and a term as mayor from 2008 to 2011. He dedicated 48 years to the Marion Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter and also supported firefighters as a member of the peer support team.
Mr. Rehn served in the U.S. Air Force from 1962 to 1966. His extensive volunteer work includes serving with the Hospice of Mercy and as a volunteer chaplain with St. Luke’s Hospital. He is a member of American Legion Post 298 and the Marion Order of the Masons.
He chairs Marion’s Civil Service Commission, a role he has held for 10 years, and serves on the board of directors for Area Ambulance Service.
“Paul Rehn is a shining example of a servant leader,” Mr. AbouAssaly said. “It is an honor to recognize his nearly six decades of public service and a lifetime commitment to the community he calls home.”
The award, presented annually by the Marion Chamber of Commerce and the City of Marion, honors Morris F. Neighbor, a longtime banker and philanthropist who championed volunteerism. Neighbor began his career at Farmers State Bank in 1945 and, with his wife, Betty, purchased the bank in 1968. Neighbor passed away in 2019 at age 100.
