2005 Walter Barnard Hill Awards for Distinguished Achievement in University Public Service & Outreach

Gordon Maner

Gordon Maner has an outstanding record of leadership, program management, instructional quality, and commitment to the university over the last 14 years. He has been integral and vital part of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government’s management team and his work has touched every city and county elected and appointed official in Georgia. Mr. Maner developed the idea for the Certified Commissioner Advanced Program (CCAP), which was recognized with an achievement award by the National Association of Counties at its annual convention in 2004.

Mr. Maner is the manager of the Local Government Training Program unit within the Governmental Training Education and Development Division of the Vinson Institute. Last year more than 16,000 individuals enrolled in the unique classes offered by the Institute and 80 percent were local government officials. The programs provide a valuable service to the state- Georgia local officials are among the best prepared in the nation.

Because of his national reputation for developing successful training programs, Mr. Maner is frequently asked to consult with other states. He attended the National Association of State Municipal Leagues to describe the programs and assist association leaders in replicating Georgia’s model. The secret to Georgia’s program success is the collaborative partnership that has been established with the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) and the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA). Mw. Maner nurtures these partnerships through his tireless work with the associations’ management teams and their respective training committees.

Mr. Maner was responsible for completely revising for completely revising and renewing the Local Government Management Development Program and its curriculum and has assisted numerous local governments in organizing an education program that develops the management skills of their employees. As evidence of its effectiveness, these organizations repeatedly contract with the Institute for this service and several have twenty-year partnerships in providing this program.

Mr. Maner has also been in broader Institute activities through his work with emerging democracies as part of the Institute’s International Center for Democratic Governance, assisting in their development of a greater capacity to govern. He presents the Institute’s nationally recognized training programs, concepts, and methods to numerous foreign delegations each year, most notable from China, the Republic of Georgia, and Ukraine.