Oklahoma Municipal League Leadership Class visits Alva
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December 10, 2017
Lynn L. Martin
Those attending the Community Leadership Development conference in Alva are pictured at Northwest Technology Center Friday morning. From left, front row: Matthew Wojnowski, City of Altus; Angie Oxley, Town of Ravia; Tonya White, Oklahoma Water Resources, Oklahoma City; Sharon Sutton, City of Altus; Michael Villareal, City of Altus. Second row: Courtney O'Brien, City of Enid; Daniel Tarkington, City of Checotah; Lane Jones, City of Healdton; Nancee Morris, Oklahoma Municipal League. Third row: Bert Robison, City of Okemah; Buck Day, City of McCloud; Paula Mason, City of Spencer; and Cheryl Adams, Oklahoma Municipal League.
Often when people work at a full-time job at one particular place of employment, they do not have the opportunity to see how a similar job is handled by a different employer. For several years, the Oklahoma Municipal League has conducted Leadership Development courses for usually municipal employees, who sign up and agree to attend six different all-day seminars in one year, each in a different city around the state.
You do not have to be a city employee to sign up for the six-session course. Business leaders and Chamber of Commerce members and volunteers are also invited to apply. The tuition fee is $500 and all six meetings must be attended if you wish to graduate.
Communities throughout the state of Oklahoma make application to the Oklahoma Municipal League hoping to host one of the meetings. Chamber Director Alex Mantz applied to the Alva Tourism Tax Committee for help in providing funds a host city is required to have for meeting-place rent, meals, possible transportation around the community and special entertainment. The benefit to the host city is the opportunity to "showcase" itself to colleagues around the State and to pick up ideas from the attendees.
Mike Villareal of Altus said, "This is my first time to Alva. It is a really nice community and I really like the surrounding countryside. Of course, I knew your city manager when he was in Altus, so that gives me a connection. The history here is unbelievable. We visited the museum yesterday and I had no idea that the POW stuff happened here. We're really happy to be here, and the community has been very pleasant."
The first session of the course is a two-day session. The remaining five meetings are one day each. The next round of sessions will be April 12, 2018. Class size is limited to 40 students. The class in Alva had about 20 registrants.
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