Mayor graduates from Institute of Government

Council in top 5% in SC for Institute completion rate

Simpsonville, S.C. — Now that Simpsonville Mayor Paul Shewmaker has graduated from the Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government, each member of City Council has alum status.

The Municipal Association of South Carolina (MASC) founded the Institute in 1986 to educate municipal officials on the functioning of local government. Officials like Shewmaker must complete 25 hours of classroom work to graduate from the program.

Shewmaker said the knowledge that he gained from the Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government was "invaluable."

"We're fortunate in this state to have a resource like this, and the citizens of any city in South Carolina should be glad to know their elected representatives have been through the MEO curriculum," said Shewmaker, who was elected to his first term in 2019. "It puts their town in better hands. I'm proud to be a member of a city council where all council members are graduates of the MEO."

During two daylong sessions and three morning sessions, participants in the Institute learn about the roles of elected officials and administrative staff and relationships among local, state and federal governments. Urica Floyd of the Municipal Association said in a news release that MASC has for 30 years encouraged both newly elected and long-serving officials to participate in the Institute.

“This Institute gives elected leaders with diverse personal and professional backgrounds an understanding of how to run a local government effectively," said Floyd, who is the MASC staff associate for distance learning.

The other Council members who graduated from the Institute are Ken Cummings of Ward 5, Matthew Gooch of Ward 1, Jenn Hulehan of Ward 3, Lou Hutchings of Ward 6, Stephanie Kelley of Ward 2 and Sherry Roche of Ward 4. The 100 percent graduation rate from the Institute of Government has put Simpsonville City Council in the top 5 percent in the state for Institute completion rate as one of just 14 cities out of 271 with full participation.

The dedication of Council members to their education as local leaders landed Simpsonville City Council on the S.C. Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government’s Honor Roll for the first time.

Simpsonville Community Relations Specialist Justin Campbell said Council is honored by the designation, which is annually awarded to municipal councils that count all sitting members as Institute graduates.

"Because each member of Simpsonville City Council takes seriously their role as an advocate for constituents, each Council member took the initiative to educate themselves about that role," Campbell said. "A well-informed council and mayor with a good understanding of the ways that local government affects residents will lead to smart decision-making. The City of Simpsonville is grateful to the Municipal Association for its educational resources."

Institute curriculum covers public records law, ethics and accountability, budgeting, planning and zoning, human resources and economic development. Faculty for the Institute includes local government leaders in South Carolina and other states, state officials, faculty and staff from state colleges and universities and guest lecturers.