Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Institute for Public Affairs

County Commissioners' Education and Training Series
for Newly Elected County Officials 

     The Institute for Public Affairs co-sponsors with the County Commissioners' Association of West Virginia a bi-annual series of policy education and training sessions for West Virginia's newly-elected county commissioners that is open to all county staff and "veteran" county commissioners.  The education and training session is typcially held during the winter, soon after the newly-elected commissioners are sworn into office.  The session is typically held at a location near the geographic center of the state.  Recent sessions have been held in Bridgeport and Flatwoods.

    The County Commissioners' Education and Training Series for Newly Elected County Officials features presentations from faculty members from West Virginia's institutions of higher education, state elected officials, including the governor and leading members of the state legislature, state and local government administrators, and others with expertise in areas of interest to West Virginia's county government officials.

    Here are some pictures from recent sessions:  

No. IV: Bridgeport, January 8-10, 2003

The complete program can be viewed here.

     The newly elected commissioners prepare for the opening presentations of the County Commissioners' Education and Training Series for Newly Elected County Officials at the Bridgeport Holiday Inn.

Hancock County Commissioner John Sorrenti presents "How to run an effective meeting" (L);

West Virginia Secretary of Tax and Revenue Brian Kastick presents "Tax Increment Financing" (C); and

West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Warren McGraw presents "The West Virginia Supreme Court"

    

No. III: Bridgeport, January 21-23, 2001

Session 1

Jim Booton, President, County Commissioners' Association of West Virginia President, "Opening Remarks."
Dr. Robert Jay Dilger, Director, WVU Institute for Public Affairs, "West Virginia University Local Government Leadership Academy."
Vivian Parsons, Executive Director, County Commissioners' Association of West Virginia, "The ABCs of Your Association."

CCA President Jim Booton opens the meeting while CCA Executive Director Vivian Parsons waits for her turn at the podium...

Session II

C. David Morrison, Steptoe & Johnson, "Do's and Don'ts of the Hiring - Firing Process."
Dr. R. Ivan Pinnell, Associate Dean, WVU Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism, "Meeting the Media ...Be Prepared."
Dr. David Williams, Assistant Dean, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences' School of Applied Social Sciences, "Managing for Results."

R. Ivan Pinnell makes a point...

Session III

Lavada Williamson, Budget Manager, State Auditor's Office, "County Budgeting By the Book."
William Parker, "The Uniform Budget Process ...as a practical matter."
Lew Brewer, West Virginia Ethics Commission, "Let's Talk About Ethics."
Dawn Warfield, West Virginia Attorney General's Office, "The State Open-Meetings Law."

Dawn Warfield addresses the audience while CCA President Jim Booton takes notes...

Session IV

John Sorrenti, Hancock County Commissioner, "Running an Effective Meeting: A Lesson in Parlimentary Procedure."
Chuck Kinder, Training Director, West Virgnia State Auditor's Office, "Resolving County Conflict: Thinking Outside of the Box."

Chuck Kinder discussing the benefits of working together as a team...

Session V

    Steve Sluss, Administrator, Kanawha County Commission, "Board of Review & Equalization: sharing best practices and major pitfalls." 
    Jim Waybright, Jim Booton, Jim Sago, John Sorrenti, and Sam Hicks, county commissioners, "Getting thru that first year..."

 

A lively roundtable discussion on how to get through that first year...

 

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