Committees
Education
COMPOSITION
The composition of the GMCA Education Committee shall be as noted below.
Chairman: Immediate Past President or most recent Active Past President
Vice Chair: President
Members: Three additional members are to be appointed by the Chairman and include clerks in various levels of the certification process.
Ex Officio Member: GMCA Business Manager
CVIOG Director of Georgia Clerks Education Institute
PURPOSE
State law (O.C.G.A. § 36-1-24 and § 36-45-20) requires anyone holding the title of clerk or performing the duties of a municipal or county clerk pursuant to the local charter, ordinance, or code shall attend and complete a course of training on matters pertaining to the basic performance of his or her official duties. Mandated training is offered at Georgia Clerks Education Institute programs, and the 15-hour mandated training course counts toward the 101 hours required for certification as a Georgia Certified Clerk.
The GMCA Education Committee works in partnership with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG), the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) and the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC) to implement high-quality educational programs to assist municipal clerks carry out their duties in an efficient and professional manner.
EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS
The purpose of the GMCA Education Committee is to promote educational and professional development certification through the Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG) or through the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC). The program is designed to train clerks in small and large municipalities. Certificates may be earned by completing the Certificate Program Curriculum outlined in the Georgia Clerks Education Institute Clerks Certification Guidelines.
Professional certification designations are earned by completing International Institute of Municipal Clerks education program requirements.
DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
1. All committee members shall attend either the Spring or the Fall Conference and shall be available to assist GMCA members with education-related questions.
2. The Chairperson shall attend meetings and actively participate to successfully carry out the committee’s duties as contained herein in a timely manner.
3. The Chairperson shall report committee activities to the Executive Board as requested by the President and at all regular GMCA business meetings. The Chair shall submit a written report to the President, in advance of the meeting, when unable to attend.
4. The Chairperson, Vice Chair and Past President or Treasurer shall serve on the Carl Vinson Institute of Government Georgia Clerks Education Institute Joint Advisory Committee.
5. Every even-numbered year, the committee shall poll the membership to identify future courses and gather any additional education-related information needed. The Chairperson shall determine when and how to poll the membership if not specified by the President at the spring Board Meeting.
6. The committee shall recommend speakers and hot topics to the Georgia Clerks Education Institute Joint Advisory Committee.
7. The committee shall assist the Business Manager, as needed, with publication of educational opportunities, i.e., articles for the monthly newsletter, posting on the Clerk’s list serve and postings on the GMCA website.
8. The committee shall receive and review conference evaluations/surveys and may choose to monitor courses at any time.
9. Every odd-numbered year, the Committee shall, in conjunction with Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG), review and recommend updates to the recertification process.
10. For the purpose of recertification, the Committee shall review training records and recommend recertification to CVIOG when certification criteria has been met.
11. Every five to ten years, the committee shall work in conjunction with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG) and the Georgia County Clerks Association (GCCA) to review and update the education curriculum as needed.
Download the Clerks Certification Guidlines