By DONALD MOTTERN | Staff Writer

HELENA – Helena Mayor Brian Puckett officially earned the professional designation of Advanced Certified Municipal Official (ACMO) from the Alabama League of Municipalities during a graduation ceremony held in Orange Beach, AL on Nov. 8.

In doing so, Puckett illustrated his completion of not only 40 credit hours of training conducted, or endorsed, by the League, but also the completion of a complementary 40 hours of additional training.

Puckett, who is a member of the 25th graduating class of ACMOs, was one of just 35 municipal leaders who earned the designation this year.

“My goal is always to be the best leader of our great city,” Puckett said. “The educational component gives me the opportunity to make decisions that make Helena the best today and 20 years from now.”

Because of his attendance at statewide and regional educational conferences, Mayor Puckett has received 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.

“Alabama’s municipalities are the foundation of our state’s economy,” ALM Executive Director Greg Cochran said. “Vibrant communities depend on knowledgeable and engaged leadership, which is exactly what the CMO program encourages through training on the finer points of municipal government. Earning the Advanced Certified Municipal Official designation further showcases the commitment of community leaders to be better informed, more effective municipal officials.”

The training program for elected municipal officials was first created in 1994 by the Alabama League of Municipalities, under the direction of its Executive Committee, to complete the cycle of training for municipal officials and employees. According to the league, prior to this, no formal training had ever been offered for elected officials within the state of Alabama. It was further expanded to resemble its more current form in 1998, with the creation of courses furthering CMOs with additional training.