Earlier this month, Supervisors from across the Commonwealth traveled to the VACo Training Center for a two-day conference on the duties, joys, challenges, and responsibilities of being a County Board Chair.
The VACo Chairpersons’ Institute is an annual education event, created with the goal of providing County Board Chairs with the skills and information they need to lead their counties, manage staff, and ensure an engaged, open, and transparent government. The February 9-10 Chairperson’s Institute welcomed 20 attendees from Wise County to Stafford County, to hear from experienced instructors on topics ranging from Communications to Meeting Management.
Students heard from experts like Dr. Michael Chandler, Professor Emeritus at Virginia Tech, who shared a detailed history of the Virginian structure of local government, including its powers and duties. Prince William County Attorney Michelle Robl shared her extensive experience in local government and provided best practices for keeping public meetings on course. The Institute also included sessions on the challenges of Internal Work Relationships, led by Dinwiddie County Supervisor Harrison Moody and Dinwiddie County Administrator Kevin Massengill; Governing Across Boundaries, led by Erik Johnston and David Conmy of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development; and The Role of Goal Setting, led by VACo President and King and Queen County Supervisor Sherrin Alsop and King and Queen County Administrator Thomas Swartzwelder.
Each instructor provided real world examples of how their topic of discussion had impacted or been implemented in Virginia counties, and engaged in an active Q&A session with those in attendance. Attendees came away from the Institute armed with new information and ideas to help them succeed as leaders on their county boards.
If you missed the Chairperson’s Institute, but would like to grow in your knowledge and skill as a County Supervisor, take advantage of the opportunities offered by VACo. On March 23-24, VACo will host its biennial Supervisors’ Forum that will include sessions on budgeting, meeting management, school board relationships, and more. Register for this event here.
In addition, VACo offers its Supervisors’ Certification courses throughout the year on topics like community planning, leadership, budgeting, and decision making. Register for those courses here.
VACo Contact: Angela Inglett