Program Info

Program Information

The curriculum of this certificate program consists of in-class presentations by City Managers and other local government leaders, self-assessments, team huddles and one-to-one coaching. Attendance is required at all sessions.

Seven Sessions

Leadership essentials, Emotional intelligence
Building high-performing teams, Developing psychological safety
Communication - DiSC* Workplace, Courageous conversations
Equity-ish* for Local Government Leaders (CircleUp Education), Maximizing a multigenerational workforce
Leveraging your strengths for peak performance
Exercising creative and critical thinking, Creating a culture for employee engagement
Political acumen, Academy reflections, Next steps, Wrap-up, Graduation

*Trademarked

One-to-One Coaching

Every participant in the Academy is matched with a senior manager who serves as a one-to-one coach. The coach is usually a Department Director or other senior manager from another participating agency. During the course of the Academy, participants meet at least three times with their coach who provides career and leadership development advice.

Target Audience

Division Managers, Assistant Department Heads, mid-managers, and other emerging leaders seeking quality professional and personal development of leadership skills and "soft" or "human" skills.

Academy Cost

The estimated cost per participant for each agency is $2,016 (subject to change). Your organization will be billed following your attendance at the Academy.

Application for 2026-2027