We’ve been lucky to have an excellent teacher and course organizer to lead our effort in the person of John Ostrowski, a recognized leader in public works continuing education. We have also been fortunate enough to have a rotating group of volunteer instructors who were not teachers by vocation, but who combined years of experience with a passion for their selected subject matter that enabled them to hold their audience’s attention and impart useful theoretical and practical information. To modify an old adage: “Those who can, do… and can also teach!”
Into the Future Last year, APWA created the Donald C. Stone (DCS) Center for Leadership and Excellence in Public Works. APWA members who complete requirements of the Center can earn a credential as a Public Works Supervisor (PWS) or Public Works Manager (PWM). Completion of a Public Works Institute satisfies all educational requirements for credentialing as a PWS or PWM.
This year an APWA Public Works Institute Task Force recommended, and APWA adopted, some changes to the PWI curriculum. The 90hour minimum program was retained, while an additional unit of instruction, “Creating the Future,” was added. Chapters were also given flexibility in what subjects to emphasize, based on local needs. The Northern California Chapter will be revising its curriculum and submitting it to APWA this year as part of recertification of our Public Works Institute. We will also strive to be sensitive to the needs and priorities of our “audience”—the aspiring public works leaders who have unanimously and enthusiastically endorsed the model we have followed to date. John Lisenko can be reached at jlisenko@ comcast.net; Vitaly Troyan can be reached at vandmtroyan@comcast.net.
November 2013 Module 4 attendees at completion of three-day course in Berkeley, California
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APWA Reporter
February 2014
APWA Nationally-Approved Public Works Institutes Arizona Public Works Institute Arizona Chapter arizona.apwa.net Florida Public Works Institute Florida Chapter & Indian River State College (IRSC) www.cctiirsc.com Georgia Certificate of Public Works Management Georgia Chapter & Univ. of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government www.cviog.uga.edu/certificate-ofpublic-works Illinois Public Service Institute Illinois Chapter, Chicago Metro Chapter, Southern Illinois Univ. and Northern Illinois Univ. http://ilpsi.org Public Employees Leadership Institute Iowa Chapter & Iowa State Univ. www.intrans.iastate.edu/ltap/ leadershipinstitute/