Newly Elected City Officials Take Advantage of Training Opportunities
Officials recently elected to city governments across Georgia had the chance to meet and learn during two events cosponsored by the Institute and the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA). At the Newly Elected Officials Institutes in Athens on February 17–18 and in Tifton on March 2–3, almost 500 new councilmembers and mayors from around the state gathered to gain insights into what lies in store for them as municipal officials.
The Vinson Institute training faculty, GMA staff, and veteran municipal officials who led the wide variety of courses focused their efforts on building the essential knowledge base of a city official and on preparing participants for the leadership challenges they will likely need to navigate. The events also provided participants with the opportunity to network and learn about local government resources.
The city government landscape and their roles and responsibilities in it as elected officials were just some of the topics participants covered during the Institutes. Other training addressed ethical, legal, and financial guidelines as well as council-staff relations, planning and zoning, interacting with the community, meetings management, budgets, and more. The first day's agenda also featured breakout sessions customized for municipalities of different sizes so that officials could profit from information more relevant to the service delivery and budgetary situations of their own cities.
To make attendance more convenient for the busy new councilmembers and mayors, GMA and the Vinson Institute convened the Newly Elected Officials Institutes in two locations. Officials from south and central Georgia could attend the event at the University of Georgia's Tifton Conference Center, and those from north and central Georgia were able to meet on the UGA campus in Athens at the UGA Hotel and Conference Center.
Training provided as part of the Newly Elected Officials Institute is only the beginning of the professional development opportunities available for officials from Georgia's municipalities. GMA and the Vinson Institute cosponsor the Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute, which provides continuing education to officials throughout their careers. Mayors and councilmembers can engage in courses and other learning opportunities to progress through a series of certifications in recognition of their commitment to lifelong learning.
