First County Officials Earn Certified County Official Designation
Urbana - Four Illinois county board members became the first to receive Certified County Official (CCO) designation this fall.
Judith Maggio of Tuscola, a member of the Douglas County Board and Robert D. "Bob" Sampson of Decatur, vice-chairman of the Macon County Board were awarded their certificates on October 5 at the annual Partners in Planning conference in Bloomington by Dennis Campion, Associate Dean of University of Illinois Extension and Outreach.
Kelly Murray, Executive Director of the Illinois Association of County Board Members and Commissioners (IACBMC); Jeri Marxman, University of Illinois Extension specialist in public policy education; and Extension Directors, Cheri Burcham of the Moultrie-Douglas Unit and Doug Harlan from the Macon County Unit, also participated in the ceremony.
Maggio was the first county official to become a CCO. She completed the 24 hours of continuing education needed for the designation on May 4 by attending the University of Illinois Extension's Local Government Tele-Institute on Land Use Issues.
Sampson was the second county official who earned the CCO designation. He fulfilled the continuing education hours of the CCO program Level 1 on September 21 after attending the Local Government Tele-Institute, Update of Legislative Issues.
Millie Dyer of Morris, a member of the Grundy County Board earned her CCO program Level 1 designation on October 5 after attending the Partners in Planning conference in Bloomington.
Frank X. Heiligenstein of Freeburg, a member of the St. Clair County Board and president of the Illinois Association of County Board Members and Commissioners, was awarded his certificate on November 20 at the annual Illinois Association of County Officials conference in Chicago by Marxman and Murray.
Heiligenstein was earned the CCO designation. He fulfilled the continuing education hours of the CCO program Level 1 on October 5 after attending the Partners in Planning conference in Bloomington.
Maggio, Sampson, Dyer, and Heiligenstein were four of the first county officials to enroll in the CCO program after it launched in 2005.
"These county officials have worked diligently to become Certified County Officials by attending CCO approved conferences and educational programs over the past year to enhance their knowledge and strengthen their skills as county officials," said Marxman.
"The future of our communities and the governments that serve them depends upon the caliber of leadership public officials provide," said Murray. "The CCO program prepares county officials to be pacesetters and high-performance leaders in redefining local government."
All elected and certain appointed county officials in Illinois can enroll in the CCO program. It is a voluntary certification program developed to provide county officials with educational and professional development opportunities. The CCO program requires county officials to acquire a minimum of 24 hours of continuing educational credits.
To learn more about CCO program, please contact Jessica Van Tine, Program Coordinator for Extension's Local Government Information and Education Network at 217-244-3735 or at tinevan@uiuc.edu.
