Durham Co. Commissioner Brenda Howerton Completes NACo Leadership Program
Durham, NC – Durham County Commissioner Brenda A. Howerton recently completed the National Association of Counties (NACo) High Performance Leadership Academy. The program is offered by NACo and is an innovative, completely online 12-week program created to equip county government professionals with practical leadership skills to deliver results for counties and communities. The program provides classes that address the unique challenges and opportunities of serving in county government. As a graduate, she joins a group of 1500 graduates from 900 counties across the nation.
Howerton was elected to the Durham County Board of Commissioners in 2008 and reelected in 2012 again in 2016, presently in her third term. On August 12, 2017, Commissioner Howerton was sworn in as President of the North Carolina Association of Counties. She is the first Durham County commissioner to be elected to a statewide senior leadership office. She served as Vice Chairman of the County Commissioner from 2012 until 2016.
She was one of the first to complete the Advanced Leadership Corps offered by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government, a course offered to municipal and county elected leaders each year. Additionally, Commissioner Howerton completed the Local Leaders Academy (LELA). The LELA is a partnership with the School of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, and the NC League of Municipalities offer elected officials the knowledge and skills needed to lead and govern their communities.
Commissioner Howerton said, “This national course for public administrators and elected officials which focused on General Colin Powell’s leadership strategies continued to engage and deepen my ability to lead and honor the people and their contributions around me. The course provided insights from members of the program’s National Leadership Board.”
The curriculum was delivered by successful leaders from a number of different sectors including some of the world’s foremost thought leaders including General Powell and Marshall Goldsmith. The program is regarded as providing best practices in leadership, organizational development and change management, negotiation and collaboration, effective business communication, and delivering value within high-performance management. Howerton added, “The second half of this course demonstrated how leaders enable “positively deviant” performance and engender positive culture and communication. It was challenging at a time when the world is in a challenging state; however, I am thrilled I was able to participate with other minds across the country.”
The premier online leadership development series is lauded for providing county leaders with a broader perspective on the role of counties and the skills necessary to address the ever-changing challenges that emerge.