Jacksonville, AL – Councilwoman Sherry Laster of Jacksonville has been awarded the prestigious title as an Advanced Certified Municipal Official (CMO) from the Alabama League of Municipalities. The award is an acknowledgement of her commitment to continuing professional development and her commitment to efficient municipal governance.
The journey of Laster towards getting the Advanced CMO designation involved completing the full training course offered through the League. In order to earn this Certified Municipal Official designation, she devoted 40 hours of credit for training and another 40 hours of training was required to obtain her advanced designation. The course covered a wide variety of subjects essential to effective city council members that ranged from council meetings and parliamentary procedure to Open Meetings Act, public documents, ordinance drafting as well as conflicts of interest and the state ethics law.
In her reflection on her accomplishment, Councilwoman Sherry Laster emphasized the impact of her position in Jacksonville. “For me, being an advanced municipal official is all about Jacksonville. The more I know about effective management, the better I will be at representing the residents of Jacksonville and addressing their demands,” she stated.
Laster, who was a prestigious participant in the 25th Class of Advanced Certified Municipal Officials, was honored for her achievements in a graduation ceremony that took place at Orange Beach, Alabama, on the 8th of November. The total number of participants was 35. officials were awarded their Advanced CMO designation this year and a sign of their dedication to advancing the standards in municipal government.
The training program, launched at the time of 1994, by Alabama League of Municipalities, was created under the direction by its Executive Committee to address the need for formal education of elected official. Prior to its introduction there was no formal training been provided to individuals who held elected post.
Greg Cochran, the League’s Executive Director, has highlighted the importance of municipalities in the state’s economic growth. “Alabama’s municipal governments are the pillars of our state’s economic system. Communities that thrive depend on a knowledgeable and active management, which is this is what the CMO program encourages by providing training on the finer nuances of municipal government” Cochran said. Cochran. “Earning an Advanced Certified Municipal Official designation also demonstrates the determination that community members have to become more knowledgeable, efficient Municipal officials.”
