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. There are currently 325 local government officials participating in the Academy, with about 100 attending each session.

     A picture and list of the inaugural 2002 graduates can be viewed here.   A picture and list of the 2003 graduates can be viewed here.  A list of the 2004 graduates can be viewed here. A list of the 2005 graduates can be viewed here.  Additional pictures of the West Virginia University Local Government Leadership Academy's previous sessions are displayed later on this page.  

   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.

   The next session of the Local Government Leadership Academy will take place on Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23, 2006 at the Radisson Hotel at Waterfront Place in Morgantown, West Virginia. See the Spring 2006 announcement, program and registration form for details.

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.  A complete description for each of these courses is available here.

Local Government Leadership Academy Electives

   The elective three-hour workshops provide West Virginia's local government officials an opportunity to increase their expertise and skills in areas and topics that are of special interest to them. Electives that have been offered through the Academy include: 

• Abandoned and Dilapidating Housing in Counties
• Animal Control in Rural Areas
• Campaign Finance and Elections Law
• City-County/Regional Relations
• Conducting Orderly and Effective Meetings
• Critical Issues in Local Governance
• Cultural Heritage Tourism
• Dealing with Poverty Issues in Your Community
• Economic Development Initiatives
• Economic Development: Innovative Planning & Neighborhood Revitalization
• Economic Development: Riverfront Development & Walking Tour of the Wharf District
• External Funding and Resource Acquisition
• Grant Writing
• Living Well in West Virginia:  The Importance of Quality of Life Issues in your Community
• Lobbying and Representation Issues
• Local Government Land Use Planning
• Local Government Law
• Main Street USA
• Making Meetings Work
• Managing Information Technology
• Marketing Your Community
• Newly Elected Officials Training Program
• Pressing Public Health Issues in West Virginia:  What Can Local Government Leaders Do?
• Program Evaluation and Survey Research
• Public Participation and Community Relations
• Public Safety I: Law Enforcement and Corrections
• Public Safety II: Fire Protection, EMS and 911 Centers
• Public Speaking
• Public Works I: Water Infrastructure
• Public Works II: Transportation Infrastructure
• Regulating Locally Unwanted Land Uses (LULUs)
• Seminar:  Advance Ethics for Public Officials
• Seminar:  Advanced Leadership
• State-Local Relations
• Strategic Planning and Community Development
• The New WV State Planning Enabling Law
• What do Paperless Ballots Mean to You?
• Working with the Judiciary
• Working with the Media
• WV-LTAP - Solving Transportation Problems in West Virginia Communities

A complete description for each of these courses is available here.  Additional electives are offered as needed.

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.

Local Government Leadership Academy Program Coordinator

    The West Virginia University Local Government Leadership Academy is coordinated by Lucinda A. Potter, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science in West Virginia University's Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.  Ms. Potter is a specialist in American political behavior and state and local government. She teaches extended learning web-based courses in State & Local Government, West Virginia Government, American Federalism & Policy, Great Books in American Politics, and Public Policy Analysis and serves as the Department's point of contact for electronic course delivery.

from Dr. Robert Dilger

at the Spring 2004 Session's Graduation Ceremony held on April 3, 2004

at the

Ramada Inn and Conference Center, Morgantown WV