Class IX Applications Open Nov. 1, Due Jan. 15
“Each session is designed to provide you the opportunity to gain knowledge and learn how to use that knowledge to make you a better servant leader.” Oldham County Judge Don R. Allred, CCLA Class I, 2005-2006
The Commissioners Court Leadership Academy (CCLA) is now accepting applications for Class IX. CCLA, a two-year, advanced leadership development program for Commissioners Court members, is offered and coordinated by the V.G. Young Institute of County Government, a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
Class IX applications are available at http://vgyi.tamu.edu and must be postmarked no later than Jan. 15, 2021.
“CCLA helped me enhance my leadership abilities more than any other program I have attended,” declared Oldham County Judge Don R. Allred, a member of the inaugural class of 2005-2006. “I can’t put into words how much respect I have for the academy. It is developed and presented in a way that allows you to grow your leadership abilities while gaining invaluable knowledge concerning government and how we must all work in concert to provide for our citizens.”
Participants are selected through a competitive application process. The program includes four multiday sessions spanning the two-year period. Three sessions are conducted throughout Texas, and one session takes place in Washington, D.C. Tuition is $2,800 and may be paid over two budget years.
“Each session is designed to provide you the opportunity to gain knowledge and learn how to use that knowledge to make you a better servant leader,” Allred elaborated. “I would encourage anyone with the desire to improve your leadership skills to make this a priority.”
Cooke County Judge Jason Brinkley was a member of CCLA Class VI, which met in 2015-2016.
“The CCLA ranks as one of my best experiences in my 10-plus years as a county elected official,” Brinkley offered. “Each session is a great learning experience, most especially the Washington, D.C., session. However, as great as the sessions are, one of the biggest takeaways is the friendships you make with your fellow elected officials from around the state that you share the experience with.”
The academy was designed specifically for County Judges and County Commissioners with the following four objectives in mind:
- Increase knowledge of the origins and varying systems of county government and the interrelationship of local, state, and national government systems.
- Develop communication and interpersonal skills to more effectively present ideas and work with community members, colleagues, the media, and other elected officials.
- Enhance personal leadership and decision-making skills to better represent and lead constituents, counties, and associations.
- Improve the ability to serve as an advocate for county issues at all levels of government.
“With 30 years in public education including several years in school administration, I have experienced multiple leadership training programs from informal training all the way to a very involved DuPont Leadership Program,” detailed Johnson County Commissioner Larry Woolley. “CCLA has surpassed anything that I have experienced in the past with leaps and bounds.
“The training coupled with the relationships that are built within the class membership are so extremely valuable for survival in today’s ever-changing world,” he continued.
Whenever Woolley develops a presentation, he reflects back on the CCLA session that taught participants to always talk in “threes” and stick to three major points.
“This is just one of many valuable lessons learned,” he noted.
Everyone in CCLA Class VII wished for additional time together, which was “a true indication of the quality of the experiences that we enjoyed,” Woolley shared.
For more information on the Commissioners Court Leadership Academy, contact the V.G. Young Institute at 979-845-4572.
