October 28, 2020 - Certified Public Manager Training Has Begun for a Second Class of City of Atlantic City Supervisors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Goal of Program Is to Ensure Senior City Managers Are Trained to Perform Their Jobs at a High Level

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and City of Atlantic City announced that Certified Public Manager training began last week for a second class of supervisor-level city employees in an effort to strengthen work performance and better serve the residents of Atlantic City. Seventeen city supervisors in such departments as Administration, Health and Human Services, Human Resources, Licensing and Inspection, Planning and Development, Public Safety, and Revenue and Finance are voluntarily taking the course. 

City supervisors enrolled in the program will attend public management classes one day a week between now and July 2021. The classes will be conducted virtually at the start of the program due to COVID-19. The City granted approval for supervisors to participate in the training and is paying for the instruction.  

“We anticipate the Certified Public Manager training will challenge these city supervisors to become stronger leaders who can better identify issues and find creative ways to address them,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner. “Having a second class of supervisors benefit from this valuable training is part of our continued effort to bolster city government so that it can more effectively serve the community and manage critical initiatives to revitalize this truly amazing city.” 

The nationally accredited State of New Jersey Certified Public Manager® Program is administered by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission and delivered by Rutgers University-Newark’s School of Public Affairs and Administration. In May 2020, a class of 15 City of Atlantic City supervisors was the first to graduate from the program. 

The program covers such areas as quantitative techniques, communication, problem solving and decision making, strategic thinking, analytical thinking, administrative law, budgetary process, management information systems, personal and organizational integrity, managing work, leading people, developing self, systemic integration, and change leadership. 

“My administration is extremely supportive of training and educational opportunities for the City’s dedicated staff,” said Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. “Having smart, capable city employees enables the City to more effectively provide services, respond to citizens’ concerns, and tackle challenges. I’ve seen first-hand the positive impact this training has had on city supervisors and I am pleased that even more of our staff will benefit from it.”  

The Atlantic City Transition Report, which was issued in September 2018 as a roadmap for strengthening Atlantic City, recommends that the State and City support enrolling city senior managers in a training program specifically designed for municipal managers. 

The Certified Public Manager program is part of an ongoing endeavor to build municipal capacity in Atlantic City. For example, all city employees have received local government ethics training. Also, later this week city department directors will participate in a one-day retreat that will touch on effective management, leadership development, and fiscal accountability. 

For more information about the City of Atlantic City, visit www.cityofatlanticcity.org. 

 For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media: