Schuylkill County commissioners George F. Halcovage and Gary J. Hess, along with chief clerk Darlene Laughlin and assistant county administrator Paul Straka, were among the 15 graduates of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania's Academy for Excellence in County Government.

The graduation ceremony was held at CCAP's fall conference, held in Hershey."The Academy is a certificate training program for county commissioners, council members, county executives, administrators and assistant administrators, chief clerks and assistant chief clerks, solicitors and assistant solicitors, and their home rule counterparts. Participants complete required courses in leadership, management and decision-making; county legal issues; innovative approaches to county government; county functions and responsibilities; county financial management; risk management; personnel and labor relations; and personal development; and numerous other elective courses covering a wide range of topics," said CCAP spokeswoman Debra S. Tingley."The Academy is an excellent tool in helping to prepare public officials for the important jobs they do by giving them the tools to provide exceptional service to the constituents they serve," said Jeff Haste, Dauphin County commissioner and president of CCAP. "The program provides Pennsylvania communities with better-quality leaders who are needed to deal with the challenges of today's county government."The nonprofit, nonpartisan association represents county commissioners, chief clerks, administrators and other officials in the commonwealth's 67 counties. It started its voluntary academy program in 1996, and more than 120 county officials have graduated from the program.