We will be speaking at the CCAWV Annual Legislative Conference on January 22 at 2:30 about the Local Government Leadership Academy and other activities sponsored by the Institute for Public Affairs. Hope to see you there!
The Local Government Leadership Academy is pleased to announce NEW SPECIALIZATIONS to better address the needs of local government officials.
Local governments are increasingly asked to do more, often with fewer resources. Local officials are frequently called upon to understand and make decisions on highly complex issues with grave implications for their jurisdictions. Today’s elected and appointed leaders must be well versed in everything from personnel law and economic development to land-use planning, running effective meetings, and leadership skills. Citizen distrust, accountability mandates, and public apathy complicate an already difficult situation. Throughout its history, the Institute for Public Affairs has responded to the professional development needs of West Virginia’s local governments. These new specializations will address specific areas of interest and will provide the attendee with certification in selected areas of expertise. These specializations introduce the student to the policy environment in which the local manager must operate. Experienced local administrators have always told us that additional study beyond the core courses is needed.
Specializations offered this LGLA include:
Planning and Economic Development
Emergency Preparedness
Managing Policy Issues
Governance
In order to complete a concentration or a specialization, an attendee must complete:
8 workshops to earn a concentration and 16 workshops to earn a specialization
For those who have attended the LGLA in the past, we will accept up to three appropriate field-specific workshops from past events in each specialization area.
Resources and Information:
Scholarships available for the Fall 2011 LGLA for county and municipal officials and staff in distressed and at risk counties.
At Risk: Barbour, Boone, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Greenbrier, Lewis, Logan, Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Ritchie, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur and Wetzel.
The Core Curriculum
The following three-hour workshops provide West Virginia’s local government officials a solid foundation in public organizational and financial management, with an emphasis on the enhancement of their personal leadership skills. The six workshops in the core curriculum include:
Public Management & Leadership Skills
Financial Management
Economic Development
Human Resources & Personnel Management
Professional Conduct: Ethics and Open-Meetings Law
Consensus Building and Conflict Resolution
All Academy attendees must have these workshops before they are eligible to earn the Certificate of Achievement.
Local Government Leadership Academy Certificates
Participants in the West Virginia University Local Government Leadership Academy can earn the following certificates:
The Certificate of Achievement is awarded for successful completion of the Academy’s Core Curriculum -six required workshops – and four elective workshops;
The Certificate of Excellence is awarded for the completion of the Academy’s Core Curriculum -six required workshops – and eight elective workshops;
The Certificate of Distinction is awarded for the completion of the Academy’s Core Curriculum -six required workshops – and twelve elective workshops; and
The Certificate of Highest Merit is awarded for the completion of the Academy’s Core Curriculum -six required workshops – and twenty-four elective workshops.
The Institute for Public Affairs is pleased to sponsor the West Virginia University Local Government Leadership Academy. The Academy is co-sponsored by the West Virginia Association of Counties, the County Commissioners Association of West Virginia, and the West Virginia Municipal League. It has been designed to provide West Virginia’s local government officials an opportunity to interact with West Virginia University’s finest scholars, prominent public officials, and leading practitioners who have demonstrated an expertise or exceptional achievement in an area of interest to West Virginia’s local government officials.
The Local Government Leadership Academy is a hands-on learning experience focusing on the active exchange of ideas and information through a series of three-hour workshops. The Academy’s curriculum was developed with the assistance of the Executive Directors of the West Virginia Association of Counties, the County Commissioners Association of West Virginia, and the West Virginia Municipal League to ensure that it meets the needs of West Virginia’s local government officials.
The Academy sponsors two sessions each year, with the Fall session taking place in Charleston and the Spring session in Morgantown. The Academy’s inaugural session took place on June 2-3, 2001 at Lakeview Resort and Conference Center in Morgantown. Sixty-seven local government officials participated. Since then, the Academy’s enrollment has continued to increase. We are celebrating our 10th Anniversary year in 2010-2011!
Reaction to the Academy has been overwhelmingly positive. Participants have praised the program both for the quality and usefulness of the workshops and for the opportunity to interact with local government officials from across the state.
