Carl Gerlach was elected Mayor in April 2005 and re-elected in 2009. He served on the City Council from 1995 to 2005 as a representative of Ward 3.

While on the Council, Carl served as Council President in 2002-2003, and as Chair of the Community Development and Finance, Administration and Economic Development committees.

Carl currently serves on the board of the Overland Park Economic Development Council, the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce, and the Overland Park Convention and Visitors Bureau. He also is a past member of the K-State School of Leadership Studies Advancement Council, the Bi-state Commission, and currently serves on the League of Kansas Municipalities Governing Body.

He has maintained his community involvement, serving on the board of Shawnee Mission Medical Center, as a Johnson County Community College Foundation Board member and in the past on the Friends of Johnson County Developmental Supports board. In addition, Carl is a member of the City/State Affairs Task Force of the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Johnson County Education Research Triangle Authority Board of Directors and on the Kansas Lottery Commission as commissioner.

Before becoming Mayor, he was an active member of the Downtown Overland Park Partnership and served as Treasurer of the Overland Park Development Corporation which owns the new Sheraton Overland Park Hotel at the Convention Center. He is also a graduate of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Industry's "Leadership Kansas" class of 1998 and a past board member of the Kansas State University National Alumni Association.

Carl is married to Jill, and they have three children - Chris, Jennifer and Katie. He is the Director of Marketing for a major screen printing company in the promotional products industry. Carl recently served as the chairman of the Promotional Products Association International Board of Directors.

An Eagle Scout and graduate of Shawnee Mission South High School, Carl received a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University while also playing basketball.