October-December 2011 (Vol. 10, No. 4)
Local Governments Get Centralized Resource for LOST Mediation
Cities and counties engaged in local option sales tax (LOST) negotiations have access to trained mediators and local government experts through a new partnership between UGA's Vinson Institute and Fanning Institute. (more)
Rural Development Council Taps Institute
The new OneGeorgia Rural Policy Center, created to strengthen the state's rural communities and economies, will receive assistance from the Vinson Institute at the request of Gov. Nathan Deal. Faculty will facilitate planning meetings, help formulate policy, and coordinate the contributions of other University System of Georgia institutions. (more)
Chatham Managers in Leadership Class Dedicate Monument
Chatham County employees completing the second of three levels in the Institute's Management Development Program memorialized victims of violent crime by erecting a stone bench engraved with the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community service is an integral part of the program's team-building curriculum. (more)
Vinson Facilitates Strategic Planning for Statewide Education
The leaders of education-related state agencies in Georgia will receive assistance from Vinson Institute experts in the development of the new strategic plan for the Alliance for Education Agency Heads. (more)
Vinson-Korea Partnership Tours West Point Auto Plant
Representatives from the Governor's Association of Korea (GAOK) toured the West Point Kia Motors plant during a trip organized by the Institute's International Center, demonstrating the strengthening relationship between South Korea and Georgia. (more) The Institute signed memoranda of understanding in October with GAOK and the Seoul Municipal Government to provide training and collaborate on research endeavors. (more)
Vinson Institute Assists State Arts Council Planning
As the Georgia Council for the Arts looks forward to its next five years of supporting the arts and arts education in the state, it will rely on a strategic plan currently being developed with assistance from the Vinson Institute. (more)
New Financial Tutorial Breaks Down Credits and Debits
Understanding Journal Entries, a free, seven-minute tutorial produced by the Institute's financial management training program, explains the ins and outs of a foundational concept in governmental accounting—credits and debits. (more)
City Officials Consider Today and Tomorrow's Grantville at Retreat
The Grantville mayor and members of the city council met for a one-day Institute-facilitated retreat to define objectives, explore the legal aspects of their powers and responsibilities, and hone their leadership skills. (more)
Legislators Attend First Environmental Academy
State lawmakers on the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee met at Amicalola Falls State Park for the inaugural Legislative Environmental Policy Academy coordinated by the Institute's Environmental Policy Program. The representatives received in-depth, objective information from experts about the issues likely to come before them during the 2012 session. (more)
Vinson Fellows Showcase Their Work
Members of the fall Vinson Fellows cohort completed their internships with presentations about their research findings on the sole-commissioner form of government, social media use among institutes of government and outreach programs, and China's growing water crisis. (more)
International Center Reunites Sister Cities in Brunswick
Public managers from China's Jiangxi Province traveled to Glynn County and explored its government and community as part of a leadership development program coordinated by the International Center, promoting stronger ties between sister cities Ganzhou in Jianxi and Brunswick in Glynn. (more)
Did you know?
The Vinson Institute offers one-on-one executive coaching to top-level state and local leaders seeking to hone their professional development.
