AHOSKIE – Tony Hammond, Ahoskie Town Manager, recently received the International City/County Management Association (ICMA)’s Credentialed Manager designation.

Hammond is one of 900 local government management professionals who are credentialed through the ICMA Voluntary Credentialing Program.

“I am elated to reach this level and join a very elite group,” Hammond said. “It doesn’t come easy. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into reaching this level.”

To be credentialed by ICMA, a member must have significant experience as a senior management executive in local government, have earned a degree, preferably in public administration or a related field, and demonstrated a commitment to high standards of integrity and to lifelong learning and professional development.

Hammond became qualified by his seven years of professional local government executive experience.

“Not only are my years in management taken into consideration, but to become a credentialed manager and maintain that status takes no less than 40 hours of continued education each year,” he noted.

That continuing education is collected during Hammond’s attendance at various local, state and national conferences.

“It’s not just attending the conferences that allow you to gain the continuing education credits,” Hammond explained. “You must apply the skills learned at these conferences and then write a synopsis of what you learned and how you applied that knowledge at the local level.”

ICMA promotes excellence in local government through professional management.

Toward this end, ICMA provides an information clearinghouse, technical assistance, and training and professional development to nearly 8,000 chief appointed administrators, assistant administrators and other individuals throughout the world.

Its resources and services reach is in contact with

thousands of local, county, and state government professionals, academics and consultants

via its monthly mailings.

In North Carolina, approximately 100 municipal and county managers or assistant managers have attained Credentialed Manager status.