PENNER RECOGNIZED FOR COMPLETING NEBRASKA STATE GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
On February 6, 2017, Parole Supervisor Quintin Penner was one of 32 state employees honored for completing the Nebraska State Government Leadership Certificate program. It is a yearlong leadership development curriculum that involves a huge commitment of time and energy from the candidates. The Leadership Certificate program was created by the Department of Administrative Services in an effort to better prepare aspiring leaders for the unique challenges of leading in the public sector. The group meets at least once a month for formal training, but also stays connected through online learning and community of practice activities in-between the formal events. Certificate candidates receive training in such topics as effective communication for leaders, Personnel rules and labor issues, ethics in government, motivating Generation Y, and project management for the unofficial project manager. Quintin said the final seminar, customer centered government through process improvement, had the greatest impact on him personally. He said that the focus on how many steps and/or people are involved in any given process represents the single biggest opportunity to improve our agency. Time saved benefits all stakeholders by reducing both tangible costs and personnel hours. Congratulations, Quintin, on this important accomplishment.