Angela Edwards, Municipal Clerk in Sardis, graduated from the Certified Municipal Clerk program June 28 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.

Photo: Sardis City Clerk Angela Edwards (center) earned the Certified Municipal Clerk designation upon graduating the program on June 28 at the Mississippi Municipal League conference in Biloxi. Pictured (from left) are Jason Camp, Extension Specialist of the Center for Government and Community Development, Edwards, Russell Wall, president of the Mississippi Municipal Clerks and Collectors Association and Jean White, Certification Chairman.