Last year, Councilman Stephen R. Shelley was elected to join the Good Government Initiative class of 2012. The program, which was founded by former Miami Dade-County Commissioner Katy Sorenson, provides a venue for elected officials to develop their skills as leaders and to hone their ability to practice good governance.
At the February Homestead Council meeting Mrs. Sorenson, President of the Good Government Initiative Program, presented the program’s certificate of completion to Councilman Stephen R. Shelley.
“This program was a great and fulfilling experience for me,” said Councilman Shelley, who is also a graduate of the Florida League of Cities Institute for Elected Municipal Officials and the Florida League of Cities Advanced Institute for Elected Municipal Officials. “When you get elected to office there is no class that you can take to teach you how to be an elected official. I am grateful for the opportunity of participating in this excellent program, and I encourage my fellow council members to apply for the next Good Government Initiative class.”
The group of elected officials from Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties that was selected for the 2012 program received more than 60 hours in training about the nuts and bolts of government in South Florida. The ultimate goal of the Initiative is to help elected officials develop into thoughtful, effective leaders in the community, while giving them the opportunity to develop a supportive cohort of their peers and connections with established community leaders and experts. During the four month program, which is facilitated by the University of Miami, participants of the Good Government Initiative class were able to engage in conversations about government with a variety of former elected and appointed officials, academics, journalists, community leaders, and lobbyists.
