KNOXVILLE — Twenty-nine county and municipal government leaders have successfully completed the 15th annual Local Government Leadership Program (LGLP) sponsored by the University of Tennessee’s Institute for Public Service (IPS).
UT faculty and private consultants led the three-day, invitation-only program that focused on personal leadership, business etiquette, ethics, diversity and legal issues for local government. The program concluded Nov. 9.
“LGLP gives elected and appointed government officials the opportunity to meet with their peers statewide and discuss innovative ways to solve community problems and learn about effective leadership practices,” said Tom Kohntopp, manager of leadership and executive development programs at IPS.
For more than four decades, IPS has offered leadership programs that promote effective government through creative leadership, managerial effectiveness, professional skills enhancement and lifelong development for leaders and their organizations. IPS has custom-designed programs to assist Tennessee’s government professionals in meeting the challenges of public service.
LGLP participants are nominated by their peers, LGLP alumni or IPS staff. This year, three IPS personnel were invited to participate because of their daily involvement with local government, industry and law enforcement leaders.
“It’s important for our consultants to understand issues facing leaders statewide and to recognize their needs. That knowledge enables IPS to advise government and industry leaders with practical solutions, up-to-date information and technical assistance,” Kohntopp said.
Since its inception in 1991, there have been more than 380 graduates of the Local Government Leadership Program.
Completing LGLP 2007 were:
• Blake Armstrong, administrative executive, Bolivar
• Jeff Banyas, commissioner, Johnson City
• Cindy Benefield, trustee, Lawrence County
• Gene Bollinger, sheriff, Robertson County
• Bill Brittain, trustee, Hamblen County
• Omer Cox, city councilman, Oliver Springs
• Heather Duncan, circuit court clerk, Coffee County
• Michele Elliott, town attorney, Smyrna
• Ronnie Erwin, alderman, LaVergne
• Debby Francis, manager of accounts and budgets, Putnam County
• Terry Fuller, commissioner, Paris
• William Hayes Jr., mayor, Livingston
• Calvin Hinton, assessor of property, Hardin County
• Mark Lamb, appraiser, Bedford County
• Libby McCroskey, legal consultant, UT County Technical Assistance Service, Nashville
• Romeo Morrisey, program manager, UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center, Oak Ridge
• Gregory Newman, director of parks and recreation, Sweetwater
• JoAnn Parker, commissioner, Etowah
• Gary Petree, training consultant, UT Municipal Technical Advisory Service, Knoxville
• David Robinson, mayor, Selmer
• Gwen Shelton, mayor, Fayetteville
• Donna Simpson, county clerk, Bradley County
• Andrea Smith, highway accounts manager, Franklin County
• Bart Stinnett, director of emergency management/homeland security, Blount County
• Jack Stockton, sheriff, Roane County
• James Talley, mayor, Ducktown
• Dennis Waldron, alderman, LaVergne
• Marcy Walker, commissioner, Johnson City
• Sherry Witt, chief deputy, Knox County
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A high-resolution image of the class is available here.
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Contacts:
Queena Jones, (865) 974-1533, queena.jones@tennessee.edu
Amy Blakely, (865) 974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu