GENESEO, N.Y., Dec. 17, 2024 — Two Livingston County employees, Veteran Services Director David Terry and Grants and Public Information Coordinator Travis Clark, recently graduated from the National Association of Counties (NACo) High Performance Leadership Academy (HPLA).
With a robust curriculum developed by the Professional Development Academy in partnership with academics and thought leaders, including the late General Colin Powell, HPLA was designed specifically for the unique challenges and opportunities encountered while serving in county government. Livingston County now boasts 25 successful graduates of the 12-week online course. County Administrator Ian M. Coyle emphasized that investing in staff professional growth and development is essential for shaping a county government that truly serves its community.
“Empowering our county staff through professional development is an investment in the future of our county,” said Coyle. “These kinds of opportunities ensure our county government remains innovative, responsive, and well-prepared to meet the evolving needs of our community.”
The intensive HPLA program draws on insights from seasoned leaders to provide frontline county government professionals with practical leadership skills.
“As a veteran, I related to much of this course,” explained Terry. “It's based on the principles of former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell and relates his extensive leadership skills from the military down to county government. This course challenges you to not only be a better leader in the workplace, but to start in the home first. I appreciated that aspect as a husband, as a parent, to navigate my experiences into the role of a department head in county government and highly encourage anyone that wants to level up their leadership abilities to take this course.”
Clark stated, “I'm very thankful to the county for giving me this opportunity to grow as a leader. I really appreciate how the county makes investing in the team’s professional development a priority. I think the results of that are very evident when you look around at the stellar people here with Livingston County who are committed to providing residents with their best day in and day out.”
For more on NACo’s High Performance Leadership Academy, visit https://www.naco.org/resources/education-and-training/naco-high-performance-leadership-academy.
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About Livingston County:
Founded in 1821, Livingston County, N.Y., is comprised of more than 61,000 residents in 17 towns located across 631 square miles of the Finger Lakes region.