Bryant completes professional development training
The program consists of two-and-a-half days of training and is intended to increase efficiency of county government through professional development. Graduates of the program must take 16 hours of training per fiscal year to retain their certification.
Bryant was among 21 officials who completed the training and was recognized by the University of Tennessee as a certified public administrator. The program is administered by the UT County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS). More than 1,066 county officials have completed the program since its inception, with 762 of those officials still in office.
‘Some courses are designed specifically for the office they hold and others are on general managerial and governmental functions,’ said Mike Garland, executive director of CTAS. ‘The entire program is designed for practicality and skill building that officials need on a day-to-day basis.’
Garland said CTAS is the only place county officials can obtain such training.
‘Nobody else is doing this for them,’ Garland said. ‘Everything we do in this program is geared specifically for county officials and their employees. Their duties and responsibilities are all specified by law.’
Because elections can bring a substantial turnover in county offices, Garland said CTAS gears the training program to finish within a four-year period.