Joan Bair, Secretary of Caernarvon Township, recently completed the certificate program of the PSATS Municipal Government Academy (PMGA), a leadership and municipal education program of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS).
The 2022 class of PMGA graduates received diplomas and certificates of completion April 25 during the association’s Annual Educational Conference in Hershey.
“PSATS launched the Municipal Government Academy several years ago to give township officials and staff a leg up on performing their duties,” PSATS Executive Director David Sanko said.
“In the academy, education in leadership and communication skills overlaps the training in four technical tracks: administration, planning and zoning, public safety, and public works.”
PMGA participants earn primary, secondary, and elective points by attending classroom workshops and webinars and other PSATS educational opportunities, such as the Annual Educational Conference, Human Resources and Labor Management Institute, Boot Camp for Township Officials, and Grassroots Advocacy Day.
In this year’s graduating class, three individuals, including Bair, completed the certificate program by earning 30 points in the administration track. In addition, seven individuals completed the diploma program by earning 60 points from across the four tracks.
PSATS structured the academy to give participants practical information they can use in their positions, Sanko said.
“We didn’t want to just have courses on abstract local governance topics,” he said. “We wanted to make sure that students came out with useful strategies and techniques to help them do their jobs better and more efficiently. That’s our ultimate goal.”