City of Indianola, IA
09/23/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/23/2024 12:12
Indianola Council Member Steve Richardson Earns Certified Elected Municipal Official Designation
Steve Richardson, At-Large Council Member for the City of Indianola, is among 15 elected city officials to be awarded the Certified Elected Municipal Official (CEMO) designation in 2024, the Iowa League of Cities announced Monday, Sept. 23.
The designation was created by the Iowa League of Cities as a way to recognize elected officials who commit to continuing their professional development while in office. The recognition program allows attendees to build towards the CEMO designation while receiving meaningful, informative and useful information on topics that expand the elected official's knowledge and capabilities.
Richardson, who also serves as a board member with the Iowa League of Cities, is grateful for the experience and resources that the CEMO program provided him as a City official.
"Once you complete all of the requirements and attend a certain number of (Iowa League of Cities) events that are geared for elected officials, it's really a great program as to how council members can participate more and be part of the good decision-making that happens in cities," Richardson said. "I've learned that collectively we have more of a voice with other communities than we do singularly, and that's very important."
Additionally, participation in the program is 100 percent voluntary.
"Those achieving the CEMO designation spend many hours, often on weekends, attending workshops and conferences on the finer points of municipal government," said Alan Kemp, Executive Director of the Iowa League of Cities, in a news release. "This is a significant commitment to local government, and I commend these individuals for their dedication and motivation to become more effective municipal officials."
The CEMO designations were awarded on Friday, Sept. 20, at a ceremony held at the Iowa League of Cities' annual conference in Sioux City.
- Jo Ann Beer, Mayor of Fairfax
- Jim Behrens, Council Member of Atlantic
- Coralee Bernard, Council Member of Oakland
- Brad Cavanagh, Mayor of Dubuque
- Courtney Clarke, Mayor of Waukee
- Meghann Foster, Mayor of Coralville
- Paul Gandy, Council Member of Fairfield
- Dustin Ganfield, Council Member of Cedar Falls
- Rita Gibson, Council Member of Shenandoah
- Linda Hartkopfu, Council Member of Atlantic
- Joseph Jones, Council Member of Windsor Heights
- Betsy Moniz, Council Member of Oakland
- Rick Murphy, Mayor of Algona
- Steve Richardson, Council Member of Indianola
- Bruce Visser, Mayor of Atlantic
The Iowa League of Cities is the oldest, continuously operating municipal league in the country. Founded in 1898, the League is a not-for-profit organization that serves as the unified voice for cities, providing advocacy, training and guidance to the cities of Iowa.
To learn more about the Iowa League of Cities, please visit www.iowaleague.org.
Please join the City of Indianola in congratulating Council Member Richardson for earning this designation!