Leaders institute

The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension will offer the Local Leaders’ Institute on Saturday and Sunday in Elko.

The Institute, a new pilot program, is designed to enhance the knowledge of elected and appointed officials, government staff and other community leaders on the ins-and-outs of local government in Nevada.

In partnership with the Nevada Chapter of the American Planning Association, Frederick Steinmann, Eureka County Extension educator, helped to create the Local Leaders’ Institute, a program to educate community leaders in four Nevada locations – Washoe, Elko, Eureka and Clark Counties. By mid-2014, Steinmann hopes the pilot program will become a full institute and be used as the primary training format to disseminate this type of information to all parts of the state. Nye and Lyon Counties have already requested to the Institute also be offered in their counties.

According to Steinmann, one of the workshop’s objectives is to reduce conflict between staff and elected officials over procedural matters pertaining to government management and administration, and to get everyone speaking the same language.

“A tension was identified between elected officials and staff — a tension that ultimately has hurt government efficiency and effectiveness in Nevada,” Steinmann said. “A lot of it is really that they don’t have common background and training to deal with the issues they face.”

The registration fee for the Institute in Elko is $75 and includes lunch, snacks and refreshments, and course materials. Space is limited to 50 participants and will be provided to attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. The Institute will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn Elko, 3650 E. Idaho St. To register, contact Steinmann at steinmannf@unce.unr.edu or 775-237-5326.