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Charlotte County Board of Supervisors (BOS) Chairman Garland Hamlett Jr. and Supervisor Kay Pierantoni were recognized as graduates of the Virginia Certified County Supervisors’ Program on Nov. 12 during the Virginia Association of Counties’ (VACo) 85th Annual Conference in Bath County.

The Virginia Certified County Supervisors’ Program provides training to enhance the leadership and decision-making skills of county supervisors in the Commonwealth.

The 18-month certification program was created to provide VACo members with an opportunity to learn how to lead their communities more effectively.

According to Chairman Hamlett, the program covered topics such as budgeting, leadership, governance and planning and zoning.

“I think anyone who gets elected to the BOS should attend,” said Hamlett. “Being on the BOS is more than attending a monthly meeting. The knowledge needed to be successful  and to understand government on a local level is essential to be an effective board member, and this is provided in the program.”

The Virginia Certified County Supervisors’ Program provides an overview of the issues, expectations, and practices associated with serving as a county supervisor as well as detailed information about local government. The program consists of five core courses that span 55 hours of classroom instruction and hours of home study. The program focuses on leadership development, duties and responsibilities of public officials, community planning, local government finance, and collaborative governance.

“Congratulations to our newest graduates for completing one of VACo’s premier educational programs,” VACo Executive Director Dean Lynch said. “We now have close to 90 graduates from more than 40 counties since the program’s first class in 2006. I was proud to join the ranks of other graduates in 2016, and I can attest that this is a master’s degree level program. I encourage more supervisors to participate in this unique educational program.”