Thursday, January 2, 2020

Take a Look at Professional Development in the New Year

The Municipal Association of SC offers numerous affiliate associations to help city and town employees with professional development needs. These groups provide specific training opportunities and online resources as well as networking — both through meetings and listserves. 

In 2019, the SC Community Development Association was part of a group touring projects in North Augusta and Aiken, including the new City of Aiken Department of Public Safety
headquarters.
 


Affiliate memberships run on a calendar year schedule. Municipal staff will receive a mailed membership notice in early January but may also renew or join online. Here are the groups and their benefits: 
  • Building Officials Association of SC – BOASC focuses on the challenges of administering and enforcing building and related codes in order to protect the life, health and property of building occupants. Staff contact: Elizabeth Copeland 
  • Municipal Court Administration Association of SC – MCAA provides training for court administrators, clerks of court, municipal judges and other employees involved in court administration. Staff contact: Sara Snell 
  • Municipal Technology Association of SC – MTASC exposes members to a broad range of technology systems, platforms and solutions. It offers training for IT staff, those with GIS responsibilities and employees working in other departments but whose duties include technology services. Staff contact: Sara Snell 
  • SC Association of Municipal Power Systems – SCAMPS focuses on legislative initiatives, mutual aid and provides training for elected officials, management staff and operational personnel of the electric cities in the state. Staff contact: Elizabeth Copeland 
  • SC Association of Stormwater Managers – SCASM offers quarterly training on stormwater management policies and best practices. Training addresses topics like proposed changes to stormwater regulations and case studies of innovative practices. Staff contact: Sara Snell
  • SC Business Licensing Officials Association – BLOA promotes best practices for administering the local business and professional license tax through training, networking and the Accreditation in Business Licensing and Masters in Business Licensing. Staff contact: Elizabeth Copeland 
  • SC Community Development Association – CDA training focuses on economic and community development needs, best practices and successful case studies. Members come from local and state government as well as private industry, elected positions and volunteer positions. Staff contact: Sara Snell 
  • SC Municipal Attorneys Association – The MAA annual training, designed for city and town attorneys, complies with the Supreme Court of South Carolina Commission on CLE and specialization requirements for continuing education credits. Staff contact: Eric Shytle 
  • SC Municipal Finance Officers, Clerks and Treasurers Association – MFOCTA training covers the diverse job responsibilities of its members. MFOCTA sponsors the Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Institute with the Municipal Association and the Joseph P. Riley Jr. Center for Livable Communities. Staff contact: Elizabeth Copeland 
  • SC Municipal Human Resources Association – MHRA helps members stay current on state and federal labor law and court rulings. Its trainings are accepted by national human resources organizations for continuing education credits. Staff contact: Sara Snell 
  • SC Utility Billing Association – SCUBA trains members on utility billing, collections and customer service. Programs frequently focus on customer service skills, workplace safety, and best practices in utility billing and collections. Staff contact: Ken Ivey 

The Annual Meeting of the SC Association of Municipal Power Systems is a time for the state’s city and town power systems to share technical developments and management practices. 

More information 
A recent City Quick Connect podcast featured a discussion of the affiliate associations and their specific training opportunities. An Uptown article also covered the offerings of the various affiliates.