Writer: Staff Reports
Published June 28, 2023
The LaGrange Daily News
A local city councilman was recognized at the Georgia Municipal Association’s annual convention on Monday for completing municipal government training courses.
LaGrange City Councilman Nathan Gaskin was presented the Certificate of Distinction award from the Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute during the GMA convention in Savannah on June 26.
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 elected city officials.
“This is an outstanding achievement,” GMA CEO and Executive Director Larry Hanson said. “We commend Councilman Nathan Gaskin for this accomplishment and for the dedication he has shown in using this valuable resource to become a more effective city official.”
To receive a Certificate of Distinction a city official must complete a minimum of 204 units of credit, including at least 72 hours from a required list of courses and the Robert E. Knox, Jr. Municipal Leadership Institute. The training program consists of more than 70 courses.
“It is my duty to be the best councilman I can be,” Gaskin said. “Let the acquisition of knowledge from the Georgia Municipal Association serve as notice to the citizens as to my commitment to the beautiful citizens of LaGrange. This award is for them.”
“We are proud of our partnership with GMA to provide high-quality, relevant training to Georgia’s more than 3,500 municipal officials,” said UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government Director Rob Gordon. ”The institute remains committed to being the trusted resource that city officials across Georgia turn to for leadership and professional development training that makes a difference in the lives of the citizens they represent.”
