KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee has named 54 county officials across Tennessee as certified public administrators this spring, including the first administrators from Union and Trousdale counties.
Of Tennessee’s 95 counties, 85 have at least one certified public administrator. Now that includes Union and Trousdale counties. Pam Ailor, county clerk from Union County, and five officials from Trousdale County became the first officials from their counties to complete the 80-hour County Officials Certificate Training Program (COCTP), which is administered by the UT County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS).
More than 1,100 county officials have completed the CTAS program since its inception in 1982. CTAS is an agency of the statewide UT Institute for Public Service.
Bob Schettler, CTAS training services administrator, commended the Union and Trousdale officials for their trailblazing efforts and encouraged them to use their accomplishment to inspire more officials from the two counties to complete the program.
The COCTP is available to every county employee in the state. After completing 60 hours of training and passing an exam on the Tennessee County Government Handbook, the participants attend a three-day capstone or graduation-type event. During the capstone, the participants demonstrate the administration, leadership and management skills they have gained throughout the extensive training. Upon completion of the capstone, the participants are designated as certified public administrators.
Each course in the program is designed to aid county government officials in performing their jobs and efficiently administering county services. Classroom topics include ethics, fire insurance ratings, finance, records management, proactive leadership and information technology proficiency.
Graduates of the program must take 16 hours of training per fiscal year to retain their certification.
Those who completed the program in April and May 2009 are:
· Heather Adams, general fund accountant, Weakley County
· Pam Ailor, county clerk, Union County
· Susan Anglin, deputy clerk, Hickman County
· Gerald Baer, chief deputy, Wayne County
· Robert Baggett, chief judicial commissioner, Franklin County
· Denise Barger, special projects, Madison County
· Sherry Batchelor, payroll clerk, Madison County
· Bill Boner, property assessor, Rutherford County
· Barbara Boykin, secretary, Fayette County
· Emma Boynton, register of deeds, Bledsoe County
· Ritchie Brewer, county commissioner, Lewis County
· Nancy J. Brown, county commissioner, Carter County
· Dewayne Byrd, assessor of property, Trousdale County
· Connie Casteel, administrator of elections, Coffee County
· Kay Celsor, trustee, Trousdale County
· Rita Crowder, county clerk, Trousdale County
· Jason Duke, jail administrator, Wayne County
· B.J. Eaton, administrative assistant, Wayne County
· Nancy Evans, clerk and master, Crockett County
· Marci Floyd, trustee, Weakley County
· Steve Godsey, county mayor, Sullivan County
· Don Gregory, training commander, Shelby County
· Sandra F. Head, trustee, Robertson County
· Bertie Hobbs, senior acct. manager, Sullivan County
· Mary Holder, register of deeds, Trousdale County
· Joyce Holt, bookkeeper, Lewis County
· Brandy Hudson, accounts payable, Hickman County
· Chuck Jenkins, assessor of property, Loudon County
· Beth Johnson, title clerk, Roane County
· Shelly Jones, clerk and master, Trousdale County
· Stacy Jones, deputy clerk, Roane County
· Jonah Keltner, county commissioner, Lewis County
· Norma Kirk, assessor of property, Hardeman County
· Brenda Lane, accounts payable, Hickman County
· Alan Mahaffey, accounts and budget manager, Sullivan County
· Jeanette Meek, personal property clerk, Chester County
· Penny O. Murphy, circuit court clerk, Jefferson County
· Mike Nichols, finance director, Madison County
· Penny Petty, chief deputy clerk, Hamblen County
· Ronnie Price, county clerk, McNairy County
· Patricia Primm, payroll clerk, Hickman County
· Jason Rich, county executive, Wayne County
· Gary Rhodes, superintendent, Perry County
· Misty Rosson, purchasing, Hickman County
· Wanda Sensing, chief deputy clerk, Dickson County
· Freida Smith, bookkeeper, Roane County
· Beverly Templeton, circuit court clerk, White County
· Clint Thomas, county commissioner, Wilson County
· Andrea Totty, deputy clerk, Hickman County
· D.W. Weaver, register of deeds, Marshall County
· Odette Suzanne Whitaker, deputy clerk, Hickman County
· Renee Whitaker, clerk, Hickman County
· Linda Wilder, county clerk, Hamblen County
· Tracy Wright, deputy clerk, Hickman County
Editors: Capstone group photos are available upon request.