ST. CROIX — September 15, 2016 - Thirteen students — all government employees — on Wednesday graduated from the University of the Virgin Islands’s Certified Public Manager® Program on St. Croix. A similar graduation event occurred the day before in St. Thomas.

From left to right: Genevieve Whitaker and Valcina A. Quashie-Peters. (Credit Ernice Gilbert, VIC)

NCPMC Chairperson, Mary De Lorenzo, attended on behalf of the Consortium.

Speaking at yesterday’s event, UVI President Dr. David Hall congratulated the graduates, and urged them to view the milestone not as another certification achieved, but rather an important block in their quest to become better public servants.

“In those early discussions, our notion of why we wanted to do this, was to make an investment in the quality of people who are managing and leading the Government of the Virgin Islands,” Dr. Hall said. “And that is still our mission, ro make sure that we don’t just sit back and complain about what’s wrong with an agency or what’s wrong with the government in general, but that we do something — that we invest in the quality of individuals who are leading and managing the Government of the Virgin Islands. And your participation and completion of this program demonstrates that that is a good investment, and one that we are confident will pay off in the future.”

Graduating from St. Croix yesterday were Florine Audain-Hassell, Legislature of the Virgin Islands, Natalie Bailey, Department of Human Services, Andrea E. Barreiro, Department of Human Services, Desiree Bennett-Felix, Department of Labor, Tresa Civil, Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority, Selma Deterville-DaCosta, Department of Human Services, Laura M. Forbes, Juan F. Luis Hospital, Keverine D. George, Department of Human Services, Sarah Naomi James, Department of Human Services, Debora Nieves-George, Department of Labor, Valcina A. Quashie-Peters, Office of Collective Bargaining, Genevieve Whitaker, Elections System of the Virgin Islands, and Zelda M. Williams, Virgin Islands Housing Authority.

Source: The Virgin Islands Consortium

Some of the new graduates - photo by Jane Sharp

On Friday, Aug. 5, 2016, exactly 100 New Jersey public servants graduated from Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration’s (SPAA) New Jersey Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program. Held in Rutgers University’s Cook Student Center, the ceremony highlighted various facets of public service as certificates were presented to police officers, firefighters, analysts, and managers and directors at the municipal, county, and state levels.

“Students learn from the instructors, as well as from each other, and graduate with both improved leadership skills and renewed commitment to public service.”

Offered through the State of New Jersey Civil Service Commission, and accredited by the National Consortium of Certified Public Managers, the New Jersey CPM Program at Rutgers SPAA equips participants with skills to become more effective leaders and managers within their organizations through courses that teach strategic thinking, budget processes, administrative law, and management, among other topics.

Two graduates were presented with Askew Awards – bronze medallions awarded to CPM graduates whose capstones serve as examples of excellence in public service by bringing measurable change to government, improving customer service, and empowering vulnerable populations. Wayne Jeter, the manager of training for the State of New Jersey Civil Service Commission, presented the awards to Corporal Timothy Brown of the Glassboro Police Department and Sergeant Denise Palmisano of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Department. Jeter also recognized 13 award nominees with notable capstones.

View program with all graduate names and Capstone Project Titles

See article here: Link

Texas State University’s William P. Hobby Center for Public Service graduated fifty-nine new Texas Certified Public Managers at the Texas State Capitol on Monday June 6, 2016. The CPM graduates and their families came from CPM Programs at the following locations: Amarillo, Arlington, Houston, Edinburg and Nacogdoches, Round Rock, San Antonio, San Marcos Texas. The graduates participated in CPM Programs offered by the following universities, Texas State, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State, Texas Tech University, the University of Houston and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

The Graduation Speaker, Alan Bojorquez, is a regular and popular instructor in Central Texas CPM programs. As the Founder and Chairman of the Texas Center for Municipal Ethics, he brought a message to graduates encouraging them to the highest standards of ethical behavior in a time of increasing controversy and public skepticism. You can watch Alan’s speech online here.

Congratulations to all June 2016 Certified Public Manager graduates!

New Mexico Program Graduates 7 State and Local Certified Public Managers®

ALBUQUERQUE – New Mexico EDGE, which stands for Education Designed to Generate Excellence, presented its New Mexico Certified Public Manager® designation to two municipal officials and a state agency employee during the New Mexico Municipal League annual conference in Albuquerque recently.

Click here to read full article.

On Aug. 26 and 27, 2014, the accomplishments of the first ever class of 43 graduates from the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) Certified Public Manager (CPM) program were celebrated; making the CPM program a reality and a dream come true in the USVI. As the photographs reveal, the graduates received their CPM certificates with great joy and proud smiles on their face, indicating that they admire the well deserved professional title “CPM” behind their names.

The graduates represent a wide range of government agencies and departments. This broad representation is an indication that the graduates are poised to make a real difference in the quality of the services they provide to the people of the Virgin Islands.

The full article continues here.