Writer: Kevin Price
Published August 11, 2021
Thomasville Times-Enterprise
Grady County Finance Director Holly Murkerson recently completed the Public Finance Leadership Academy.
The PFLA was conducted by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, an organization that works with state and local governments.
The PFLA took place over six months from January through June 2021.
The courses were Leadership and Effective Communication, Government Structure and Operations, Public Human Resource Management, Internal Control, Treasury Management and Cash Flow Forecasting, Advance Debt Issuance, Economic Development, Budgeting for Long-term Sustainability, Millage Rate Process, Data Visualization and Creating Dashboards, Advanced Financial Accounting and Reporting: Preparing Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and Preparing For Audit.
Murkerson completed the Level I Certified Local Government Finance Officer Program in May 2020. She hopes to complete Level II in 2022. Murkerson will also start the Certified Public Manager Program later this year.
Those two programs provide foundational knowledge and technical skills in areas that are critical to the financial management of local governments, according to a news release from Grady County.
“When I accepted the position as finance director for Grady County, I brought vast experience and skills in finance, accounting, operations, and common sense,” Murkerson said. “Through the courses, certifications, and the PFLA through Carl Vinson Institute of Government, I have also gained the knowledge of local government accounting along with the knowledge to manage and communicate at all levels of government. During the nearly three years that I have been the Finance Director for Grady County, I have utilized the knowledge, experience and skills that I brought to the table along with the training that I have received through the CVIOG to the betterment of Grady County.”
"We are very pleased be excited for Mrs. Murkerson's ambition and poise to take on this extraordinary challenge while continuing to efficiently and effectively complete the daunting tasks assigned to her office daily," Grady County Administrator Buddy Johnson said. "The knowledge she received in the course will be extremely beneficial to the county and its citizens and it should also be noted that she was very instrumental in the network portions of the course. Her prior financial knowledge from the private industry allowed for excellent discussion and insight that likely would not have existed without her presence."
