Public Management & Leadership Skills Local government officials are responsible for managing people, programs, and organizations. This workshop presents the principles of sound public management and leadership skills, emphasizing the development of personal leadership and problem solving skills and the evaluation of personnel, program, and organizational performance.	Financial Management Fiscal stress is a fact of life for West Virginia's local governments. This workshop provides an overview of local government finances emphasizing the budget process, state budgetary requirements, the principles of sound financial management, and the consequences of financial mismanagement.
Economic Development The cornerstone of all governmental activity is economic vitality. This workshop provides an overview of the economic development process and the latest strategies for taking advantage of economic development opportunities. It includes an overview of state, regional, and local economic development efforts, legislative initiatives, available resources, and success stories from both the state and local government perspectives. Topics such as community development strategies, business development strategies, marketing, building partnerships, and the role of leadership in economic development are examined.	Human Resources and Personnel Management People are at the heart of good governance. This workshop examines the latest innovations in personnel management in the public sector, emphasizing the reasons to maintain an effective human resource system, how to evaluate personnel policies currently in place, and the legal and financial implications of human resource policy decisions involving such issues as the recruitment and hiring of new employees, the dismissal of existing employees, employee benefits, and employee training.
Professional Conduct: Ethics and Open-Meetings Law Local government officials are often confronted with situations involving potential conflict-of-interest issues and other matters that raise ethical questions. This workshop addresses the legal issues related to ethics in government and provides an overview of the state's open-meetings law.	Consensus Building and Conflict Resolution Local government officials often find themselves in situations characterized by high levels of conflict. This workshop focuses on strategies for avoiding and resolving conflict both between and among individuals and between and among organizations, emphasizing ways to build better working relationships with county employees and among constitutional offices.