Valdosta Mayor John Gayle received the prestigious Certificate of Achievement from the Georgia Municipal Training Institute at the Georgia Municipal Association’s (GMA) 82nd Annual Convention in Savannah on June 29. 

The Georgia Municipal Training Institute, a cooperative effort of GMA and the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, provides a nationally recognized series of training opportunities for elected city officials. To receive a Certificate of Achievement, a city official must complete a minimum of 72 units of credit, including at least 36 hours from the required list. The training program consists of a series of more than 50 courses.  

“This is an outstanding achievement,” said GMA Executive Director Lamar Norton. “We commend Mayor Gayle for this accomplishment and for the dedication he’s shown in using this valuable resource to become a more effective city official.”

At the convention, Mayor Gayle also represented Valdosta as one of only 12 communities selected by the GMA for how it has utilized public art and culture as a tool for community and economic development.  Valdosta was selected for its partnership with the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts and for their collaboration that provides quality of life events and opportunities for our community.

Based in Atlanta, GMA is a voluntary, non-profit organization that provides legislative advocacy, research, training, employee benefit and technical consulting services to its over 500 member cities.