LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Public Management Center has announced its new class of graduates of the Heartland Certified Public Manager (CPM) program. The graduation ceremony took place Dec. 3, 2021, in the House Chamber of the Kansas Capitol. Ed O’Malley, president and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center, delivered remarks to the graduates.
More than 80 graduates, representing local, county, state or federal agencies from across Kansas, began their coursework in January 2021. They participated in classes held in Lawrence, Park City and the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Hutchinson. For the first time in the course’s 28-year history, a fully online cohort also graduated, joining the other cohorts at the Capitol and meeting each other and their instructors for the first time in person.
Local graduates are: Chance Bailey, Ellinwood Police Department; Brent Smith, Great Bend Fire Department; and Emil Halfhill, Ellsworth Police Department.
Of these participants, approximately 20 are graduates of the Law Enforcement Leadership Academy (LELA) Command School who completed their CPM certification through classroom instruction and online work. They were recognized in November by the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center and were also included in the CPM graduation ceremony.
“The Kansas CPM program is a dynamic and engaging certification program of 300 contact hours that uses a capstone project as the final exam and course materials that inspire new ways of thinking and innovative approaches to public sector problem-solving,” said Deb Miller, the Public Management Center’s director.
“I am always very impressed with the caliber and dedication of the CPM graduates. Their love for public service and leadership is evident by their commitment to their organizations, communities and the citizens they serve,” Miller said. “While the 2020 class faced the challenge of completing CPM virtually, this year’s class had the adaptive challenge of starting virtually, switching to meeting in-person but always being prepared to pivot to online instruction if COVID infections became a problem. Luckily, the safety guidelines we put in place allowed for in-person instruction to the very end of the year.”
The Heartland CPM program is a professional education opportunity for managers working in government agencies, nonprofits and organizations that contract to provide public services and meet community needs. CPM is a nationally accredited management program and certification in which participants develop and strengthen their management skills through a competency-based curriculum. Close to 1,800 CPM graduates have earned the nationally recognized emblem of management excellence through the Heartland program, which serves Kansas and Missouri.
The Heartland CPM program can fill a training gap for staff with significant technical expertise who seek to further their knowledge of current management practices. The program offers a blended learning approach of classroom hours, online learning and outside assignments to meet 300 hours of structured learning. The curriculum addresses personal and organizational integrity, managing work, leading people, developing self, public service and leadership during times of change. Along the way, participants complete a capstone project focused on an opportunity for cost savings, revenue generation, process improvement or innovation in their workplace.
