Coun. Christine Thompson, along with a few other local elected officials, has completed a Level 1 certificate of the Local Government Leadership Academy.
Thompson received the certificate after having completed 15 hours of training through workshops attended at local Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) conventions, the Association of Kootenay and Boundary Local Governments (AKBLG) conferences and leadership forums put on by the local government.
“If you go to UBCM or AKBLG, there are always workshops that you can go to, to learn more about the roles and responsibilities of being a councillor,” Thompson says. “I’m a firm believer in education and to be able to do the best job that I can, I think it’s very important to attend.”
The forums are voluntary and Thompson says there is funding for those officials who would like to participate in them. She says they are worthwhile because she can take the knowledge she’s gained back to council.
“What this particular forum concentrated on was social media – the use of social media, the different kinds of social media, the responsibilities you have if you choose to use some of (it),” she says. “And other municipalities; what they’ve done and how they’ve used it.”
The forum covered issues regarding the use of Twitter and LinkedIn in politics.
Area D Director Irene Perepolkin and Area E Director Bill Baird also received their Level 1 certificates from Minister Stephanie Cadieux of the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development at the 2011 Local Government Academy Forum, which was held in Richmond from Feb. 16 to 18.
They will be eligible to receive their Level 2 Certificates upon completion of an additional 30 hours of training.