THREE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THREE CITY EMPLOYEES GRADUATE FROM THE ACADEMY FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE

Salisbury Mayor James Ireton, Jr., is pleased to announce that Louise Smith, City Council President; Terry E. Cohen, City Councilwoman; Eugenie P. Shields, City Councilwoman; Pamela B. Oland, Director of Internal Services; Deborah J. Stam, Director, Department of Community Development; and Susan S. Wood, Administrative Technician, Department of Community Development, have graduated as Fellows from the Institute for Governmental Service and Research Academy for Excellence in Local Governance.

The graduation ceremony was held on Sunday, September 13, 2009, at the University of Maryland. Each graduating Fellow completed many program hours in a set of core and elective classes designed to meet their professional needs as municipal officials in the local governance arena. Core classes include Municipal Budgeting, Ethics, and Employment Issues. Elective classes cover a variety of topics such as Environmental Issues, Land Use Planning, Legal and Liability Issues, and Intergovernmental Relations.

Council President Smith said, “It was a gratifying experience to participate in sessions that enhanced our knowledge and expanded skills that improved our ability to serve the citizens who elected us.”

The Academy, which offered its first municipal classes in 1998, is a collaborative effort involving University of Maryland’s Institute for Governmental Service and Research, the Maryland Municipal League, the Maryland Association of Counties, and the Local Government Insurance Trust. Through the program, Academy Fellows not only enhance their understanding of local governance and ethical standards in public service but also develop a foundation for informed policymaking and effective governance.

Past City graduates of the Academy include former mayor Barrie P. Tilghman; City Council Vice President Gary A. Comegys; John R. Pick, City Administrator; Loré L. Chambers, Assistant City Administrator; Gina M. Boobar, Executive Office Associate in the Mayor’s Office; Brenda J. Colegrove, City Clerk; Kimberly R. Nichols, Records Administrator/Assistant

City Clerk; and Rachel Polk and Lavonzella Siggers, former City Council members. Additionally, City Councilwoman Deborah Campbell and City employee Sherrell McBride, Office Associate in the Mayor’s Office, are currently taking classes toward their Academy certificate.

Established in 1948 as a public service unit of the University of Maryland, the Institute for Governmental Service and Research is Maryland’s oldest university public service organization supporting local officials through education and training, applied research, and technical assistance.