November 15, 2023
ORANGE BEACH – The Alabama League of Municipalities hosted its annual Municipal Leadership Institute
(MLI) and graduation/awards ceremonies on November 8-10, 2023 at Perdido Beach Resort. Each fall, the League hosts
MLI to provide municipal officials with an opportunity to learn from national, regional and statewide experts
regarding timely issues focused on enhancing the quality of life in their communities. More than 100 municipal
officials graduated or received awards from the following League supported programs:
Certified Municipal Official (CMO), Certified Municipal Achievement Awards,
Economic Development Academy, Alabama Communities of Excellence Star Awards, and DesignAlabama Mayors Design Summit.
The Certified Municipal Official Program was established in 1994 and is the second oldest elected municipal official
training program in the country. Officials receive formal classroom training in subjects such as council meeting
procedures, parliamentary procedure, the Open Meetings Act, public records, ordinance drafting, conflicts of
interest, the state ethics law, duties of the mayor and council, tort liability, the competitive bid law, zoning and
planning, annexation, municipal regulatory powers, municipal revenues and expenditures, personnel actions and
leadership development. This voluntary training is offered in several formats each year: in-person multiday
conferences, one day meetings and smaller regional trainings, and online training with anytime training and
webinars. This year, 39 Certified Municipal Officials, 35 Advanced Certified Municipal Officials and 11 CMO Emeriti,
earned their respective designations after completing 40, 80 and 120 credit hours of training. As of graduation,
more than 5,200 municipal officials have attended the League’s training in municipal government in the past 19
years.
“The League not only aims to advocate on behalf of Alabama’s municipalities, but to train and prepare our new and
veteran, local elected officials with the skills and latest resources needed to help serve their communities to the best
of their abilities,” Greg Cochran, executive director of the League, said. “I am excited that our education sector
continues to grow and am thrilled to have more the 100 officials take part in our core programs in 2023. Often times
participation in the CMO, EDA, ACE and DesignAlabama programs can take anywhere from one to five years to complete; so,
we are extremely proud to recognize the dedication of those that have obtained these distinguished designations.”
The League also presented Certified Municipal Achievement Awards to 13 municipalities, which is the most ever. The CMA
Awards were created in 2018 to honor municipalities where the municipality’s mayor and full council obtain at least 40
credit hours individually, if not more, within a year. The awards provide an incentive to get all of a municipality’s
elected officials trained.
Furthermore, the League had 10 communities graduate from its second class of the Economic Development Academy (EDA)
which included: Brewton, Evergreen, Fairfield, Gardendale, Greensboro, Luverne, Midfield, Priceville, Semmes and
Southside. The League, in partnership with the Alabama Community College System, developed EDA in 2021 to educate and
engage municipal officials and community leaders on the essential elements and phases of economic development while
highlighting their vital role in economic initiatives and projects within their communities. Using a collaborative team
approach, participants convene four times throughout the year to complete assignments and develop strategies to enhance
economic development in their communities. Ultimately, each municipality selected is required to implement a community
project and to report on its progress. EDA graduates receive a certification from the League and ACCS. So far, 37
communities have graduated.
During the graduation, ACCS announced that every graduate of the Alabama League of Municipalities’ Economic Development
Academy is eligible to earn three hours of college credit from their area community college. This includes EDA graduates
from the previous year.
“The initiative to offer every ALM Economic Development Academy graduate the opportunity to earn college credit is a testament to our commitment to supporting lifelong learning and professional development in economic development across the state,” Jimmy H. Baker, chancellor of the Alabama Community College System, said. “This collaboration strengthens communities, which, in turn, strengthens Alabama."
Additionally, the League is pleased to announce the eight municipalities selected for the third EDA class, which
includes: Ashland, Birmingham, Brantley, Clanton, Cordova, Flomaton, Helena and York. Class begins in January and runs
through the fall.
The League also presented the Alabama Communities of Excellence Star Awards to recognize individuals who have performed
beyond the call of duty within the ACE program. ACE was established in 2002 as a 501(c)(3) organization to provide
technical assistance to select communities with populations ranging from 2,000 to 18,000 in an effort to strengthen
long-term economic success. Through a comprehensive, three-phase approach, ACE uses the collective expertise of its
partner organizations – ranging from state agencies and associations to banks, utilities, universities and others – to
foster unique community development programs. The League acquired the ACE program last year and will continue to support
its mission. The League presents the ACE Star Awards to acknowledge the advisory board members, ACE Ambassadors,
community participants and volunteers for their work assisting the organization and the communities they serve.
ACE Star Award Recipients for 2023:
- 2023 Outstanding ACE Mayor - Mayor Phil Segraves of Guin
- 2023 Outstanding ACE Ambassador - Melissa Perault of U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Ozark Area
Office
- 2023 Outstanding ACE Local Coordinator - Holle Smith of the Ozark Dale County Economic Development Corporation
- 2023 Outstanding ACE Leadership Award - Mayor Sheldon Day of Thomasville
Lastly, the League recognized five mayors from Alabama’s municipalities who have recently graduated from DesignAlabama’s
Philip A. Morris Mayors Design Summit: Mayor Mike Oakley of Centreville, Mayor Rod Northam of Fayette, Mayor Jacqueline
Bishop of Fort Deposit, Mayor Brian Baine of Fort Payne and Mayor Richard Phillips of Oneonta. DesignAlabama programs
create engagement between civic leaders, citizens and design professionals. Named in honor of the late director emeritus
of DesignAlabama, the Philip A. Morris Mayors Design Summit has brought together mayors and Alabama based design
professionals to thoughtfully examine the planning and design issues facing their communities in an intimate and
collaborative setting for the past 17 years. Since then, 85 mayors have participated in the program.
“The League values the work and opportunities DesignAlabama’s Mayors Design Summit provides to our members as they work
to enhance and develop the identity of their municipality,” Kayla Bass, deputy director of the League, said. “As a
partner of DesignAlabama, we are excited to invest $5,000 to help more municipalities benefit from this great
initiative.”
The Alabama League of Municipalities is a nonpartisan membership association of over 450 incorporated cities and towns.
Since 1935, the League has worked to strengthen municipal government through advocacy, training and the advancement of
effective local leadership. As the recognized voice of Alabama’s cities and towns, the League’s member municipalities
benefit from a variety of member programs, services and activities that are impossible to accomplish alone. Learn more
at almonline.org.