(Dawson County, GA) District Two Commissioner James Swafford along with more than 60 county officials from across the state recently was recognized by the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) for completion of the Commissioners Training Program. Swafford also completed the Academy for ACCG Leadership. These training programs are offered by ACCG in conjunction with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia and have educated more than 2,600 elected and appointed county officials in the last two decades. “These were very good and informative training classes,” Commissioner Swafford said. “Interaction with other county commissioners is always a great training tool,” he continued. “Our training programs are nationally recognized as an outstanding example of training for county commissioners and other county officials,” said ACCG Executive Director Jerry Griffin. “We are extremely proud of these graduates, who committed the time to complete these training programs and expand their knowledge in many key areas of local government operations.” ACCG offers training courses to provide leadership development opportunities and peer-to-peer learning for county officials. The Commissioners Training Program requires county officials to take a total of 48 hours of instruction, including five required courses and three elective courses. Required courses include County Government Law/Personal Liability, Economic Development, Financial Management I, Fundamentals of Property Appraisal and Taxation, and Personnel/Human Resources. Swafford continues his commitment to his constituents by participating in the Certified Commissioners Advanced Program (CCAP) requiring an additional 48 hours of course instruction as well as participation in a two-day Advanced Leadership Institute and the completion of a summary project report.