Mavis H. Stewart, Deputy City Clerk in Brookhaven, recently graduated from the Certified Municipal Clerk program in Biloxi during the annual Mississippi Municipal League conference.

Developed and conducted by the Mississippi State University Extension Service, the program provides municipal clerks, tax collectors and their deputies additional education and expertise. The three-year program covers 30 topics, including purchasing, personnel management, municipal law and ethics of openness in government. Participants earn their certification after successfully completing topical assessments.

“Municipal clerks play an essential role in local governments and communities in the state,” said Jason Camp, an instructor with the Extension Center for Government and Community Development. “Their positions require a wide range of expertise in local, state and federal laws. Graduates of this program are better prepared for the complex nature of their job.”

The program is sponsored by the Center for Government and Community Development and the Mississippi Municipal Clerks and Collectors Association and accredited by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks.

The Extension Center for Government and Community Development has served as the designated state organization for all training accredited by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks since 1973. The institute is a professional, nonprofit association for clerks in the U.S., Canada and 15 other countries.