SHELBY, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—Mayor Steven L. Schag has been honored as the 2025 Elected Official of the Year by the District 5 Area Agency On Aging, recognizing his decade of public service and his continued commitment to the welfare of seniors in the Richland County region.
Schag, 70, has served as Mayor of Shelby since January 2015, following nearly eight years of service on Shelby City Council. The award highlights his collaborative efforts with community organizations, including his current role on the Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council and as a Board of Trustees Member for The Community Action Commission of Erie, Huron & Richland Counties.
The mayor’s public life has been defined by his service to the community, both civic and spiritual. He is the founding pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Shelby, where he served from 1981 until his retirement in December 2022, now holding the title of “Pastor Emeritus.”
A Mansfield native, Schag graduated from Mansfield Madison High School in 1973 and earned a Bachelor of Divinity from Massillon Baptist College in 1981. He and his wife, Sonjia Kanz, have been married for 51 years and have three sons and seven grandchildren.
Schag also serves as a Trustee of The Shelby Community Investment Corporation and is an executive committee member of the Richland County Regional Planning Commission.