DELTA STATE UNIVERSITYS

LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

THE JOHN C. STENNIS INSTITUTE OF

LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT AT MISSISSIPPI
STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE
MISSISSIPPI MUNICIPAL LEAGUE
Supporting Municipal Leaders in the Mississippi Delta

Photo courtesy of
Delta Council

WHO WE ARE
The focus of the Local Government Leadership Institute at
Delta State University is to assist Delta communities in TARGET COUNTIES
addressing governance challenges by providing local Y EAR 1: B OLIVAR , C OAHOMA ,
officials with the basic knowledge and tools needed to run H UMPHREYS , L EFLORE , S UNFLOWER ,
W ASHINGTON
their municipalities effectively and efficiently.
Y EAR 2: I SSAQUENA , P ANOLA ,
Wellmanaged local governments are important not only to Q UITMAN , S HARKEY , T ALLAHATCHIE ,
the citizens they serve, but to the businesses, industries, and Y AZOO
other institutions that are located in those communities. The Y EAR 3: C ARROLL , D ESOTO , H OLMES ,
T ATE , T UNICA , W ARREN
leadership, management, and infrastructure provided by
local governments are key elements in a communitys
delivery of services and quality-of-life efforts. Delta State Contact Info
University is committed to supporting Delta cities, towns, and Dr. Temika M. Simmons,
counties in building and supporting effective leadership for Project Coordinator
the purpose of community, economic, and regional growth. tsimmons@deltastate.edu

This program is offered with support from the Robert M. Hearin Foundation and Casey Family Programs.
Program Components
Target Audience
Mayors
City Aldermen
City Clerks/City Managers
County Supervisors
County Administrators

Training Program Phases

1. training on basic and vital skillsets and knowledge (detailed below)
2. implementation of a community-based project to promote community and economic growth
(next step: development in progress)
3. incentives to participate in broader opportunities for training, leadership, and networking (next
step: development in progress)

Basic Training Model

A unique characteristic of Delta State Universitys Local Government Leadership Institute is that it is a
non-partisan model providing the best practices in business and governance training. It is
Governance 101 for area leaders and provides a basic foundation for building and preparing for
subsequent trainings like those offered by the Mississippi Municipal League and other state and
national training models as well as on-the-job experiences. The components include intense, hands-
on training sessions over a seven-month period. Each session will be conducted by trainers with
professional experience and instructional expertise in the field and knowledge of the needs of local
government. Basic types of training from both governance and management perspectives will be
provided.

2017-2018 Training Schedule (tentative)

2017
MONTH TRAINING LEVEL SAMPLE TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE:
August LEVEL ONE What is my citys/towns/countys governance
Starter Training: structure? How to hold a meeting? How to
Day 1, Now What? create a budget?
September LEVEL ONE How to understand and use Roberts Rules of
Starter Training: Order? What initial paperwork and forms are
Day 1, Now What? (continued) required? What are my departments fire,
police, water/sewer, streets and what do they
do, etc.?
October LEVEL TWO How to manage local services? How to
Intermediate Training: hire/fire/manage personnel? How to manage
Moving to the Next Level time effectively? How to develop a press
release/deal with the media?
November LEVEL TWO How to comply with laws and ethics? How to
Intermediate Training: understand municipal codes and ordinances?
Moving to the Next Level How to deal with bids and contracts?
(continued)

2
 2018
MONTH TRAINING LEVEL SAMPLE TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE:
February LEVEL THREE Whats the difference between politics and
Advanced Training: government service? Whats the difference in
Mastering the Concepts of leadership and management? How to
Servant Leadership understand the separation of power/manage
conflicts? How to communicate with the public?
March LEVEL THREE How to rekindle and strengthen opportunities for
Advanced Training: municipalities to collaborate and promote
Mastering the Concepts of racial healing? (In partnership with Delta States
Servant Leadership (continued) Winning the Race Conference)
April LEVEL THREE What is the value of town hall meetings and
Advanced Training: other public forums? Where are the grants and
Mastering the Concepts of other available funds? Once secured, how to
Servant Leadership (continued) manage grant funds? How to create
stakeholder buy-in?

Benefits of Participating
Delta State Universitys Local Government Leadership Institute will provide participants with
the knowledge and skills needed to achieve the following:
Improve and sustain the communities in which they live and work
Provide effective municipal leadership and management
Develop a regional approach to economic success
Improve local government services and environment for business, education, and citizens
Enhance community relations
Increase public trust in local government
Advance public civility and racial harmony
Improve the communitys economy and quality of life