Al Wiggins Jr., the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer of Operations for the City of Richmond, has completed the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) City/County Manager Symposium. The symposium is an executive development program recognized by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and is designed for senior public sector leaders.
This year’s program included participants from several states such as Florida, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Arkansas, and Virginia. Attendees included city and county executives, elected officials, and senior airport management professionals. The group met at the University of Georgia for advanced training that focused on executive skills and peer learning.
The coursework covered a range of topics including executive self-awareness and cognitive leadership, emotional intelligence for public sector executives, ethics and governance, transformational change and adaptive leadership, organizational culture diagnostics, strategic planning for government executives, and executive case analysis.
“This program reinforced the disciplines required to lead complex municipal systems, drive cross-departmental performance, and respond to the evolving expectations of our communities,” said Al Wiggins.
Graduates of this symposium gain stronger executive competencies and broaden their strategic perspective while building connections with peers in public administration across various sectors.
“Quality training experiences and professional development opportunities like this one are critical to a thriving City Hall and to making the City of Richmond an excellent place to work,” said Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II. “In fact, delivering white-glove service to our residents requires us to continually invest in our staff-and I plan to ensure all department heads engage in leadership training from internationally recognized organizations, just like ICMA.”
