Program helps veterans play new role in serving nation

A new initiative of Arizona State University’s Bob Ramsey Executive Education Program is helping military veterans earn national recognition by becoming Certified Public Managers.

Veterans can now take courses in the certificate program using funds from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs educational entitlements. The Certified Public Manager® program, or CPM, prepares professionals to make decisions that could impact communities for decades.

“This program makes it easier for veterans to continue their vital role of service to the nation by learning new skills they can use to enhance their career,” says Catherine Eden, director of the Ramsey Program. “They can make dramatic improvements in the areas of budgets, taxes, transportation, housing, education, labor and the environment, or wherever their public career takes them.”

Public managers are becoming increasingly important as experienced public administrators of the baby boomer generation are nearing retirement, and fewer younger professionals than ever before are in line and prepared to fill their shoes.

“I thought the CPM program was a great educational experience,” says retired U.S. Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Leonard Montanaro, deputy court administrator for the City of Mesa, Ariz. “It is totally focused on government and serving the public. All of the instructors are professionals in their respective fields and actually lived the experience, not just studied it. For example, when we studied politics, a former council member from Fountain Hills, Ariz., taught the class. Another example is the ethics class that was taught by a Phoenix police commander who focused on ethics for public officials and police officers. All of our scenarios were real life.

The learning experience is on the level of a master's program when it comes to the knowledge transferred, the discussions, and presentations required to complete the program,” Montanaro says. “I was not only impressed by the program, I was very impressed with the participants in the class. The CPM program is a great educational opportunity.”

Participants in the program include public managers, executives and elected officials from international, federal, state, county, municipal and tribal governments.

“The emphasis is on practical education,” says Eden, who previously served as director of the Arizona Department of Health Services and as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives. “We prepare people to take on new responsibilities and to be strong, ethical professionals, so they can best represent the people they serve.”

ASU’s Ramsey program has graduated nearly 12,000 students from its executive education courses since it began 25 years ago. The Certified Public Manager® course is just one of the outstanding programs it offers.

The course gives managers the ability to take some time away from their everyday work environments in order to gain a better view of where they fit in the larger scheme of public administration, she says.

Participants learn to create partnerships and improve communication with other agencies, and better understand the various pressures elected officials face during the decision-making process. They develop skills to explain to officials why certain issues should be considered a high priority.

The courses are available online or in the classroom at the ASU Mercado building in Downtown Phoenix.

For information, visit http://ramseyexecutive.asu.edu or call (602) 496-1303.