Grantville Officials Retreat to Plan Advances
The mayor of Grantville and members of the city council took a proactive stance on shaping the future of their community during a retreat facilitated by the Vinson Institute on December 3, 2011. The Institute’s Local Government Training Program Manager Murray Weed customized the retreat with the goals of defining objectives and honing leadership skills in the context of Grantville’s charter and ordinances.
During the Saturday program in Grantville, Mayor Jim Sells and members of the city council focused on their powers and duties, first generally, and then as they relate to overseeing the city’s finances. They examined motivation in the public sector and considered how elected officials should best interact with municipal departments. The group also considered the benefits and disadvantages of different leadership styles and how to use power effectively and deliberatively.
“I could sense immediately that these folks have an honest desire to better their community,” Weed said. “They rolled up their sleeves and dug deep into their charter and ordinances to reach a better understanding of how it all works under the law.”
As a result of the retreat discussions, the group of Grantville officials decided to schedule a visioning and goal-setting retreat in January to be designed by the Institute and facilitated by Weed.
The Institute’s Local Government Training Program provides customizable training opportunities for municipal and county officials in an array of topics such as leadership and management development, problem solving, governmental accounting and financial management, and workforce motivation. The Institute also offers training to state elected officials and employees through its many state training opportunities.
