Supervisors with eight diverse Georgia government agencies who successfully completed the Carl Vinson Institute of Government’s nationally accredited Certified Public Manager program were honored at a recent graduation ceremony.

The 16 graduates are the first state government managers in Georgia to earn certificates since the Institute resumed offering the CPM program in 2016. In addition, two cohorts of local government managers completed the 300-hour CPM curriculum in September.

The state government cohort included officials with the Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Department of Transportation and five other state agencies. Graduates received their CPM certificates from Institute faculty members Marci Campbell and Walt McBride at a ceremony Nov. 17.

Institute Interim Director Stacy Jones, the commencement speaker, admonished the graduates to remain engaged and committed to public service—keys to a happier career in management.

The class speaker, DOT District 1 Area Engineer Scott D. Frederick, reminded fellow graduates that the CPM program provides a wealth of knowledge important for professional growth. “This class gave us a lot of different tools that we need to grow and to grow others,” Frederick said.

One of the graduates, Kelly Martin with the Georgia State Patrol, said CPM training helped give her new a perspective on managing. “This program really made me take a look at myself and gave me the tools that I was lacking to become not only a better leader but a better teammate as well,” she said.

The CPM curriculum, delivered exclusively in Georgia by Institute of Government faculty, is designed to help managers with state and local government agencies strengthen their leadership skills. The program features a combination of in-class learning, independent study and a capstone project covering topics such as change leadership, outstanding public service and developing a collaborative work culture.

The program earned accreditation from the National Certified Public Manager Consortium’s board of directors earlier this year.

Registration is now underway for 2018 CPM training. One course, which is open to both local and state government officials, will be held in Savannah starting in January. A program for state-level managers will be held in Macon, also starting in January.