CCAP President and Bradford County commissioner Daryl Miller (back, second from left) recently presided over a ceremony to recognize 17 county officials who graduated from this year from the Academy of Excellence in County Government. Receiving diplomas were (seated, from left) Amy Webster, Robin Gorman, Pat Fabian, Judith Herschel, Stacy Richards, Nicole Hemminger, (back, from left) Bobby Kagel, Glenn Roth, Ernie King, Jeff Reber, Rick Wilbur, Paul Buber, Josh Maxwell, Linda Deatrich, Krista Gromalski, and Elizabeth Arnold (next to CCAP executive director Lisa Schaefer)
Story by Rick Hiduk / Submitted Photos
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Four county commissioners in the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania were presented with Academy of Excellence awards during the fall conference of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP). The citation is a culmination of months of participating in mostly online coursework and testing. The training program is also available to other administrators at the county level, including chief clerks and solicitors.
In Susquehanna County, awardees included commissioners Judy Hershel and Betsy Arnold(above with fellow commissioner Alan Hall). In Wyoming County, commissioners Ernie King and Rick Wilbur (below) came home with awards. The CCAP conference was held in Hershey.
According to the CCAP website, the Academy of Excellence in County Government program includes eight core courses: Today’s Trends in County Government; County Functions and Responsibilities (Specific to PA); County Financial Management; Personnel and Labor Relations; Leadership, Management and Decision Making; Legal Issues; Risk Management; and Personal Development. The courses are offered, at a minimum, two times during a four year cycle.
“The course also required 17 or 18 elective courses besides the required eight,” Wilbur related. “It took all of us a lot of hours on our own time to get through it, but we learned a lot.”
The aforementioned were among 17 graduates (top) this year, 11 of them county commissioners. Bradford County commissioner Daryl Miller served as master of ceremonies for the event. Since 1996, CCAP has presented diplomas to more than 160 county officials.
The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) is the voice of county government; a statewide nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing all 67 counties in Pennsylvania. CCAP members include county commissioners, council members, county executives, administrators, chief clerks and solicitors. CCAP strengthens the counties’ abilities to govern their own affairs and improve the well-being and quality of life for every Pennsylvania resident. It advocates for favorable state and federal legislation, programs and policies on behalf of counties. CCAP is committed to service excellence through education, information, insurance, technology and other programs that support effective county government. Founded in 1886, CCAP is an affiliate of the National Association of Counties.