Alva Review-Courier -

Woods County Treasurer Rachel Spellman-Hughes recently achieved Advanced I and Advanced II certifications for county treasurers through the County Training Program (CTP). CTP is part of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service at Oklahoma State University and is mandated by state statute and authorized under the Commission on County Government Personnel Education and Training.

After completing a minimum of 63 hours of instruction for her Basic Certification, Spellman-Hughes completed an additional 48 hours of coursework for the Advanced I level. To achieve the Advanced II level, she completed another 36 hours for a total of 147 hours. Her overall hours completed to date are 179. She also successfully completed an exercise after each course and earned a score of at least 80% or above.

Spellman-Hughes was honored at the County Treasurers Association of Oklahoma Annual School held recently in Durant, Oklahoma.

The County Treasurers Association of Oklahoma, in partnership with CTP, instituted a voluntary certification program in 1992, with an initial basic level. The association adopted an advanced level of educational certification in 1999 and in 2003 added an Advanced II level. Each successive level has classes that are required plus additional courses taken at the discretion of the participant to meet the number of hours required. Since the program's inception, more than 475 treasurers and deputies have successfully attained one or more levels of certification.

Coursework for treasurers and their deputies encompasses subjects such as basic accounting; investments and collateral; tax sales; budgeting; purchasing and bidding procedures; customer service; tax roll corrections; land records; and a forms class that covers forms used for reporting purposes required by the State Auditor and Inspector's Office.

Instructors from OSU teach these classes at various locations throughout the state, including on the university's campuses in Stillwater and Oklahoma City. In addition to county treasurers, the OSU staff also conducts dozens of classes each year for other county officer certification programs. Many of the courses, which are usually taught in a classroom setting for 25-50 people, are attended by representatives from each of the elective and appointive agencies in county government. Some classes are offered asynchronously online, allowing participants to complete the course at their own convenience.

For more information about educational training for county offices, contact the OSU County Training Program at 405-744-6160 or by visiting their website.