Port Wentworth Mayor Pro Tem Debbie Johnson received the Certificate of Excellence from the Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute during the Georgia Municipal Association’s (GMA) Annual Convention in Savannah on June 21.

The Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute, a cooperative effort of GMA and the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, provides a nationally recognized series of training opportunities for city officials. To receive a Certificate of Excellence, a city official must complete a minimum of 120 units of credit, including at least 54 hours from a list of required courses and the Robert E. Knox, Jr. Municipal Leadership Institute. The training program consists of a series of more than 60 courses.

“This is an outstanding achievement,” said GMA Executive Director Larry Hanson. “We commend Mayor Pro Tem Johnson for this accomplishment and for the dedication she’s shown in using this valuable resource to become a more effective city official.”

Based in Atlanta, GMA is a voluntary, non-profit organization that provides legislative advocacy, research, training, employee benefit and technical consulting services to its 538 member cities.