SAVANNAH - Two Hall County commissioners were among 100 county commissioners from around the state recognized recently by the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia.
Each commissioner on the list was cited for Achievements in Continuing Education after completion of one of several training programs. (The list is published below.) Training certificates were awarded at the 2012 ACCG Annual Conference which was held at the Savannah Civic Center in Chatham County.
ACCG and the Vinson Institute have worked in partnership to provide leadership development and training certification programs for county commissioners and county staff for more than two decades. These training programs are voluntary, but encourage lifelong learning and offer educational opportunities that further develop an understanding of county governance and keep county officials updated on current trends and management practices. Over 2,600 county officials have received certification from these programs.
"Leadership development for county officials is part of our core mission. We seek to provide training that fosters better informed decision-making and helps counties to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible," said ACCG Executive Director Ross King. "Commissioners who participate in ACCG training are showing their support for continuing education, which an important leadership quality."
ACCG currently offers two training certification programs, the Commissioners Training Program and the Certified Commissioners Advanced Program (CCAP). Each of these programs require 48 hours of coursework comprised of required and elective classes. Individuals who complete both of these programs are eligible to earn Standard of Excellence continuing education credit hours for taking additional training classes as well as participating in general sessions offered at conferences, policy committee meetings and other specialized training.
The county officials who received certificates at the 2012 ACCG Annual Conference and the level of training that was completed is as follows:
*The Platinum Standard of Excellence
Sammie Wilson Sr., McDuffie County
*The Gold Standard of Excellence
Reggie Loper, Effingham County
James Canady, Emanuel County
Desse Davis, Emanuel County
Sandi Allen, Heard County
June Jackson, Heard County
Larry Childs, Jones County
Mike Underwood, Jones County
Billy Webster, Putnam County
Gwen Flowers-Taylor, Spalding County
*The Silver Standard of Excellence
Emily Davis, Baldwin County
Walter Gibson, Bulloch County
James Everett, Charlton County
James Swafford, Dawson County
C.T. Stafford, Decatur County
Tommy Lyon, Elbert County
Dwain Smith, Jackson County
Bert Liston, Jones County
Mike Underwood, Jones County
Stanley Thomas, Madison County
Frederick Favors, McDuffie County
B. Keith Jones, Mitchell County
Andrea Brooks, Sumter County
Robert Lanier, Talbot County
Sheryl Clark, Telfair County
*Certified Commissioners Advanced Program (CCAP)
Jeff Christie, ACCG-UGA Extension
Lee Hagans, Bacon County
Parrish Barwick, Brantley County
Ronald Ham, Brantley County
Ray Mosley, Bulloch County
William Chappell, Carroll County
Ashley Hendrix, Carroll County
John Meyer, Charlton County
Robert Goff, Dade County
Frank Loeffler, Decatur County
Patrick Bell, Forsyth County
William Myers, Hart County
Jack Bernard, Jasper County
Wayne Davis, Jefferson County
Michael Youngblood, Madison County
Emmitt Clark, Meriwether County
Tommie Graham, Paulding County
Mitchell Bowen, Pierce County
Douglas Mangham, Pike County
Richard Oden, Rockdale County
Brenda Peterson, Seminole County
J. William Twomey, Sumter County
Stewart Mills, Troup County
Horace Daniel, Washington County
Jerry Wright, Wayne County
Terry Goodger, White County
*Commissioners Training Program
Charles Parker, Appling County
Jasper Tomberlin, Appling County (posthumously)
Kenny Murphy, Bacon County
Danny Maxwell, Banks County
Chris Harris, Brantley County
Willie Cody, Brooks County
Joe Wingate, Brooks County
Alphya Benefield, Charlton County
Nancy Mikell, Clinch County
JoAnn Birrell, Cobb County
Debra Robinson, Cook County
Tim Lassetter, Coweta County
Clark Henderson, Crisp County
Ronnie Burgamy,
Cusseta-Chattahoochee County
Ted Rumley, Dade County
Mitchell Smith, Dade County
Stan Watson, DeKalb County
Henry Mitchell, Douglas County
Vera Jones, Effingham County
Steve Mason, Effingham County
Steve Brown, Fayette County
Jesse McCarty, Fayette County
Joan Garner, Fulton County
Mary Hunt, Glynn County
Richard Strickland, Glynn County
Clyde Taylor, Glynn County
T.D.David, Grady County
Billy Poitevint, Grady County
David Gibbs, Hall County
Charles Lutz, Hall County
Wanda Marchant, Jeff Davis County
Charles Glass, Lamar County
Nancy Thrash, Lamar County
Cooper Cliatt, Lincoln County
Arthur Robinson, Lincoln County
Crawford Powell, Lowndes County
Jimmy Haywood, Miller County
Lanier Sims, Newton County
Todd Pownall, Paulding County
Carl Boyette, Pierce County
Carol Bass, Pike County
Phillip Bentley, Polk County
Tom Garrison, Rabun County
William Lane, Seminole County
Harold Andrews, Stephens County
Hugh Brantley, Treutlen County
Tod Tentler, Troup County
Rusty Blackston, Upson County
Maurice Raines, Upson County
Lyn Holcomb, White County
Kerry McAvoy, Wilkes County
Clifford Slaton, Wilkes County
For more information on ACCG and its training programs, go to www.accg.org and click on "Meetings and Training."
Saturday
July 5th, 2025
7:53PM
