New Course Aims to Foster Empowered Leadership in the Municipal Sector
For Immediate Release
January 25, 2022
St. John’s, NL – A virtual classroom filled with municipal councillors and administrators will gather tomorrow, January 26, for the first class of Municipal Leadership Essentials: A Guide to Good Governance, delivered through College of the North Atlantic (CNA). The course will provide participants with the skills and knowledge municipal council members and administrators need for informed decision-making and empowered leadership.
The online course was developed by Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador (MNL), in partnership with Professional Municipal Administrators of Newfoundland and Labrador (PMA) and CNA. With a deep knowledge of the municipal sector, MNL and PMA understand the issues and challenges facing municipalities across the province. The course uses a blended learning model that combines instructor-led sessions with self-guided learning over a 10-week period. It is tailored to the real-world needs of municipal leaders.
To accommodate high interest from the sector, a second course offering is already being planned for April 2022.
“There’s a lot to know as an elected municipal official or administrator, including finance, infrastructure and asset management, staff relations, relevant legislation, and more. Without a guide, it can be difficult to know where to begin. This course provides guidance, ensuring council members are informed on essential elements of good municipal governance. Through this training, participants are empowered to provide leadership based on informed decision making.” – MNL President Amy Coady
“This training will add important municipal and legislative knowledge to the skills arsenal of those that put themselves forward to help lead local communities. Municipal Administrators, as members of PMA, are consistently receiving updates and training offered by our organization. This training through MNL and CNA is a wonderful complement that will build strong and effective teams working to make our communities sustainable and effective.” – PMA President Brian Hudson
“CNA has remained committed to the collaboration with MNL and the PMA since our Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in 2019. We value the opportunity to train municipal councillors so that our communities are better poised to thrive in tomorrow’s economy. Optimal leadership and planning are keys to the success of our municipalities, and CNA is proud to facilitate these training needs.” – Trudy Barnes, CNA Vice President, Partnerships & Innovation
Background:
In June, 2019, CNA, MNL, and PMA signed a five-year memorandum of understanding with a commitment to collaborate on initiatives related to training, innovation, applied research, and economic/community development. This course is a direct result of that MOU, and follows the information published in the Municipal Council Handbook.
The course intends to build capacity in the Newfoundland and Labrador municipal sector. It is designed for municipal elected officials, regardless of their experience in local government, and is open for municipal administrators as well.
-30-
Media Contacts:
MNL
Tobias Romaniuk
Communications and Marketing Officer
709 725 1440
tromaniuk@municipalnl.ca
PMA
Tammy Davis
Executive Director
Professional Municipal Administrators
709 726 6405
tammy@pmanl.ca
CNA
Michelle Barry
Communications Manager
College of the North Atlantic
709 643 7721
michelle.barry@cna.nl.ca