Warner Robins mayor and council members receive GMA awards

Warner Robins Mayor Randy Toms and Councilmen Clifford Holmes and Keith Lauritsen received prestigious awards during the Georgia Municipal Association’s (GMA) annual convention in Savannah on Sunday, June 25.

Holmes, mayor pro tem, received the certificate of dedication award from the Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute.

“Being an educator and education is what I love, that’s right down my alley,” Holmes told The Houston Home Journal Thursday afternoon. “To continue to be able to reach it in one year from the previous highest award says something. I thank the city for supporting us to go to school.”

The Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute, a cooperative effort of GMA and the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, provides a nationally recognized series of training opportunities for city officials. The certificate of dedication requires 276 hours of training, including at least 108 hours from a required list of classes, 18 hours of which must be from a new Advanced Leadership track and the Robert E. Knox Jr. Municipal Leadership Institute. After obtaining the certificate of dedication, officials must complete nine hours of continuing education each year to maintain the certificate. The training program consists of a series of more than 60 courses.

Holmes was one of 10 city officials to receive the certificate of dedication at the annual convention.

“This outstanding achievement truly speaks to the dedication shown by these recipients,” says GMA Executive Director Lamar Norton. “As one of the inaugural recipients of the certificate of dedication, we commend Mayor Pro Tem Holmes for this accomplishment and for the commitment he’s shown in using this valuable resource to become a more effective city official. Mayor Pro Tem Holmes serves as an example to other city officials across the state.”

To receive such a prestigious award, Holmes said, “It’s a good feeling.” He said GMA allows opportunities throughout the year to go to school and take classes to learn and become better informed in the job they do every day.

“Mr. Holmes is a role model to me and others like me, not just in his commitment to training, but his commitment to the city and his friendship and his wisdom,” Toms said. “I aspire to get that award he got just because I know what comes with that, which is hopefully you’re prepared to handle the position that the people entrusted you with.”

Also, receiving the certificate of achievement from the Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute, Toms said Thursday that this was a special recognition for him. He said a lot of people think when you first become an elected official and even an adult, your learning process stops.

“It by far doesn’t,” he said. “I’ve been very diligent over the last three and a half years to get the training that’s required, but also above that, go out and get additional training so that I can hopefully do the job better with every training class that I have.”

To receive a certificate of achievement, a city official must complete a minimum of 72 units of credit, including at least 18 hours from a list of required classes. The training program consists of a series of more than 60 courses.

“This is an outstanding achievement,” says Norton. “We commend [Mayor] Toms for this accomplishment and for the dedication he’s shown in using this valuable resource to become a more effective city official.”

Additionally, Lauritsen received the certificate of recognition from the Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute. To receive this certificate, a city official must complete a minimum of 42 units of credit, including at least 18 hours from a list of required classes. The training program consists of a series of more than 60 courses.

“This is an outstanding achievement,” says Norton. “We commend Council member Lauritsen for this accomplishment and for the dedication he’s shown in using this valuable resource to become a more effective city official.”

Lauritsen said Thursday that he’s appreciative of the award and the time that he’s spent learning more about local government. He said he enjoys learning how cities work, noting their role as a council member is not daily operations but to provide support where needed and to help out with any issues.

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