Writer: The Albany Herald
Published May 3, 2022
Yahoo! News from The Albany Herald
District 6 Dougherty County Commissioner Anthony Jones was honored recently for successfully completing the Intergovernmental Relations and Leadership Development specialty track requirements in the ACCG Lifelong Learning Academy.
Jones was recognized during the 2022 ACCG annual conference at the Savannah Convention Center.
ACCG and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia have collaborated for more than two decades to provide county officials with supplemental training and educational tools in the Lifelong Learning Academy.
"County officials are faced with many challenges and ever-evolving circumstances under which they must govern Georgia's local communities," Dave Wills, ACCG's executive director, said in a news release. "The Lifelong Learning Academy was created to help them navigate those challenges. I commend county leaders who take full advantage of educational opportunities to further their knowledge on how to better serve their communities."
The Lifelong Learning Academy was created with input from county commissioners who identified courses based on the issues and decision-making challenges regularly faced by county officials. To ensure the course requirements and curriculum remain relevant and engaging, the ACCG Lifelong Learning Committee — comprising county commissioners and staff from both ACCG and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia — meet regularly to review and adjust accordingly.
"As an elected county commissioner, we face many challenges in the communities we serve," Jones said. "Being armed with tools on navigating through these challenges and other skills is a tremendous asset in helping us to more effectively serve our constituents, and ultimately, our entire county and community."
A 34-year resident of Dougherty County, Jones was born in Alabama. He holds an undergraduate degree from Tuskegee University and is a retiree of the University of Georgia's Dougherty County Extension Service, where he served as the 4-H Youth Development Coordinator and County Extension Coordinator for 24 years.
Jones is currently approaching his third term as a county commissioner. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Dougherty County Library and is an executive board member for the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission. He is a certified member of ACCG, as well as numerous organizations throughout the state of Georgia.
