Eleven local citizens graduated from the 13th annual Valdosta
Eleven local citizens graduated from the 13th annual Valdosta Government 101 Citizens Orientation at a ceremony on May 16, joining more than 260 graduates from the program.
The six-week program, an initiative of the Valdosta Mayor and City Council, attracted citizens from all walks of life—from student to educator, professional to retired, and everything in between—with the common goal of learning about the programs and services of their city government. The class of 2022 includes Yurshema Flanders, Jennie Boyer, Carlton Richard, Jennifer Jones, Corey Wright, John Nitschke, Daesang Kim, Joshua Kim, Deborah Shepard, Rob Rodman, and Carla Cole.
Participants of the program met on six consecutive Monday evenings, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. They learned about the overall city government structure, public safety, municipal court, engineering, public works, utilities, financial administration, industrial and economic development, recreation, inspections, neighborhood and community development, parks and recreation, Main Street, and planning and zoning. The group toured several government facilities.
The Valdosta Government 101 Citizens Orientation is one of three volunteer programs available to citizens in the City of Valdosta. The other two programs are the Citizens Police Academy and Citizens Fire Academy—designed to give locals valuable knowledge of resources through a behind-the-scenes view inside their local government. Several graduates from these programs have utilized their gained experience to pursue public service opportunities, such as serving on local boards and commissions and other public offices.
“The City of Valdosta is the only local government in our area that has this type of citizens program,” said Mayor Scott James Matheson. “We are proud to have Valdosta Government 101 participants from Lowndes County and adjacent counties who are truly interested in learning about our city government and community. As a result, this program produces more informed community members who want to play a greater role in civic life.”
The Valdosta Government 101 Citizens Orientation is held yearly in April and May. For information about the 2022 class, contact Sharah' Denton, Community Relations and Marketing Manager at 229-259-3548.
-end-