Professional positions in municipalities often have specialized job responsibilities without direct comparison in the private sector. The Municipal Association of South Carolina offers 11 affiliate associations for municipal staff which provide relevant and timely training tailored to these unique job functions. New for 2017 is the addition of the Building Officials Association of South Carolina, an organization dedicated to solving the challenges of administering and enforcing building and related codes.
The mission of each affiliate organization is to create a community of peers who learn through traditional face-to-face training, networking and sharing best practices and experiences. The Municipal Association manages and programs the affiliates with guidance from a board of directors elected from each affiliate's membership.
Affiliate members receive discounted registration on training and access to a members-only listserve, a group email network where users can post questions and seek feedback from colleagues.
"The value of affiliate participation cannot be overstated," said Eric Budds, deputy executive director of the Association. "The nominal costs associated with affiliate membership and participation is easily offset by the benefit of having a more knowledgeable, work ready and confident employee, who knows there is a network of peers available, willing and able to support their success."
During the past year, the affiliate groups serving municipal staffs conducted approximately 32 specialized training events with more than 2,200 municipal staff members and associate members participating.
Affiliate memberships run on a calendar-year schedule. Current members will receive a renewal notice the first week of January. All municipal officials and staff are eligible to join online or by contacting the Association's staff contact. Membership applications and renewals will be online beginning January 2. The online membership system will be unavailable January 19-26, due to system upgrades.
Municipal Court Administration Association of SC
MCAA offers training to court administrators, clerks of court, municipal judges and other employees involved in court administration. MCAA, which has 284 members, also offers opportunities for members to share ideas to make the business of court administration more efficient.
Staff Contact: Bill Taylor, btaylor@masc.sc, 803.354.4751.
Municipal Technology Association of SC
With 110 members, MTASC promotes the effective use of technology by municipalities. Recent training sessions included information about network administration, cloud computing, geographic information systems and mobile applications.
Staff Contact: Sara Johnson, sjohnson@masc.sc, 803.933.1240.
SC Association of Municipal Power Systems
All of the state's 21 municipal electric utilities are members of SCAMPS. Originally, SCAMPS existed solely for the utilities to help one another during times of disaster. Today, the group also focuses on legislative initiatives and provides training for elected officials, management staff and operational personnel.
Staff Contact: Eric Budds, ebudds@masc.sc, 803.933.1228.
SC Association of Stormwater Managers
SCASM offers its 206 members quarterly training on stormwater management policies and best practices. Training regularly includes updates on proposed changes to stormwater regulations and case studies featuring innovative programs and practices.
Staff Contact: Sara Johnson, sjohnson@masc.sc, 803.933.1240.
SC Business Licensing Officials Association
BLOA, with its 331 members, promotes best practices for administering and enforcing the local business and professional license tax through training sessions and the professional designations of Accreditation in Business Licensing and Masters in Business Licensing.
Staff Contact: Scott Slatton, sslatton@masc.sc, 803.933.1203.
SC Community Development Association
SCCDA provides educational forums for its 151 members to address economic and community development needs as well as share best practices and successful case studies.
Staff Contact: Sara Johnson, sjohnson@masc.sc, 803.933.1240.
SC Municipal Attorneys Association
MAA offers an annual training session designed to address the specialized needs of municipal attorneys. This session is designed to comply with the Supreme Court of South Carolina Commission on CLE and Specialization requirements for continuing education credits.
Staff Contacts: Tiger Wells, twells@masc.sc, 803.933.1270.
Municipal Finance Officers, Clerks and Treasurers Association
MFOCTA offers its 270 members training programs covering the wide range of responsibilities of finance officers, clerks and treasurers. It also sponsors the Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Institute with the Municipal Association and the Joseph P. Riley Jr. Center for Livable Communities at the College of Charleston.
Staff Contact: Jeff Shacker, jshacker@masc.sc, 803.354.4750.
Municipal Human Resources Association
MHRA promotes sound human resources administration and encourages innovative programs. Through its training programs, MHRA provides information and the opportunity to exchange ideas among its 232 members and stay up to date on changing state and federal labor law and court rulings.
Staff Contact: Sara Johnson, sjohnson@masc.sc, 803.933.1240.
SC Utility Billing Association
SCUBA provides training to its 205 members on utility billing, collections and customer service. Programs frequently focus on customer service skills, workplace safety, and best practices in utility billing and collections.
Staff Contact: Ken Ivey, kivey@masc.sc, 803.933.1205.
Building Officials Association of South Carolina
BOASC is comprised of building officials and inspectors from across the state. A goal of BOASC is to raise awareness of building officials' roles in public safety. The Association supports its members by offering educational and networking opportunities through its annual meeting and listserve.
Staff Contact: Scott Slatton, sslatton@masc.sc, 803.933.1203.