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Announcing<br />
The Louisiana Municipal<br />
Leadership Academy<br />
This month, the LMA will launch<br />
our newest training initiative,<br />
the Louisiana Municipal Leadership<br />
Academy (LMLA). The academy<br />
is a program that we have envisioned<br />
for several years and is the result of<br />
research and collaboration with state<br />
municipal leagues throughout the<br />
country.<br />
Many municipal leaders – including<br />
police chiefs, municipal attorneys,<br />
clerks, utility professionals, and parks<br />
and recreation experts – have credit-based<br />
training programs that encourage<br />
completion of continuing<br />
education in their respective fields;<br />
yet, there is currently no such formal<br />
framework accessible to mayors, aldermen,<br />
or council members. Executive and legislative officials<br />
in municipal government are at the front lines for policy decisions<br />
that affect the daily lives of Louisiana citizens. Mayors<br />
and governing body members must ensure that municipalities<br />
fulfill their legal obligations, effectively provide community<br />
services, and safeguard taxpayer dollars. In short, service to the<br />
people is not just an element of officeholding; it is their job. So,<br />
it is vital for executive and legislative officials to understand the<br />
essentials of municipal government operations.<br />
Elected municipal leaders faithfully attend LMA events. The<br />
academy is a means of rewarding that attendance while also<br />
incentivizing continued engagement in these important educational<br />
opportunities.<br />
The Louisiana Legislature has explored the concept of mandatory<br />
training for executive and legislative municipal officials<br />
over the past several years. Though there have been no concerted<br />
efforts to implement such a framework on the state<br />
level, we are mindful that this discussion will continue and<br />
that the concerns of legislators from both sides of the aisle<br />
demand a response. We believe that it should be a solution<br />
created by municipal government specialists who are focused<br />
on empowering today’s local leaders instead of imposing another<br />
unfunded mandate.<br />
Enter the LMLA.<br />
Whether you are a new mayor, alderman, or council member,<br />
or have been serving your community for years, the LMLA is for<br />
you. There is no need to apply to enroll in the academy, as all<br />
mayors and members of municipal governing<br />
bodies have been automatically<br />
enrolled in the LMLA. We do ask, however,<br />
that each LMLA participant complete<br />
a Member Profile form to provide the<br />
best contact information for LMLA correspondence<br />
and confirm their municipal<br />
service record. The form is available<br />
on the LMLA landing page, by visiting<br />
lma.org and navigating to the Membership<br />
Services tab. Further, the academy<br />
does not require any application fee or<br />
admission – it is free to all eligible officials.<br />
Though there are already plans to expand<br />
the scope of this first phase of the<br />
LMLA (discussed below), here is how<br />
the academy will work.<br />
Every LMA-hosted event – conferences, district meetings,<br />
regional trainings, and webinars – will be assigned a point<br />
value. Mayors, aldermen, and council members who attend<br />
such events are eligible to request LMLA credit by submitting<br />
the online Credit Application form following their<br />
attendance. LMLA staff will review each credit application<br />
to verify attendance and will then award the appropriate<br />
credits to each applicant.<br />
Credits will accrue year-over-year, resulting in LMLA participants<br />
obtaining increasing levels of achievement throughout<br />
their careers in municipal public service: Level 1 – MERIT; Level<br />
2 – LEADERSHIP; Level 3 – EXCELLENCE; Level 4 – GRADUATE;<br />
and Level 5 - MASTER. The more LMA events that officials attend,<br />
the faster they will accrue LMLA credits and obtain their<br />
next level of academy mastery.<br />
How it works:<br />
• All mayors, aldermen, and council members are<br />
automatically enrolled; just fill out a Member<br />
Profile online<br />
• Officials earn credit by participating in LMA-hosted<br />
conferences, trainings, and meetings<br />
• Each LMA event is assigned a specific credit value,<br />
usually based on length<br />
• After attending credit-eligible LMA events, officials<br />
complete a Credit Application form online<br />
Page 18<br />
LMR | FEBRUARY 2<strong>02</strong>4
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