District 1 Commissioner Jace Brooks has completed the quality of life/social issues specialty track in the Association County Commissioners of Georgia Lifelong Learning Academy. Mara Shaw with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia made a presentation to Brooks on behalf of CVIOG and ACCG during a Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners meeting this fall.

The quality of life/social issues track covers many factors involved in providing livable communities: community health, parks, sustainability, and policy decisions regarding these complex issues.

“It’s important to me to keep growing to better serve my district,” Brooks said. “What I’ve learned in the Lifelong Learning Academy helps me see the big picture of quality of life in our county as well as smaller details and strategies that I can use to serve my corner of Gwinnett.”

Recipients were first presented with their achievement certificates during the 2019 Legislative Leadership Conference at The Classic Center in Athens-Clarke County.

For more than two decades, ACCG and CVIOG have worked in concert to provide continuing education and training opportunities for county officials through a leadership development program now known as the ACCG Lifelong Learning Academy.

County officials work to complete core certification requirements and can then choose from the abundant course options in several specialty tracks, such as intergovernmental relations and disaster and emergency preparedness. The Lifelong Learning Academy has been essential in providing county officials with resources to enhance their knowledge in various areas.

“Since its inception, the Lifelong Learning Academy has provided Georgia’s county officials with the tools and resources to help move their communities forward,” said Dave Wills, ACCG executive director. “Thanks to our long-standing relationship with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, we have been able to offer relevant course material that our members can take back to their respective communities.”