Program helps pros better manage water resources

August 28, 2008

Public managers who deal with water resources are becoming increasingly important as they make decisions that could affect communities for decades.<separator></separator>That’s why a new Certified Public Manager course in ASU’s Bob Ramsey Executive Education Program is teaching professionals how to ensure they’re ready to address the important role water plays in Arizona.<separator></separator>“Water is such a hot statewide issue. People keep saying water is the new gold, it’s the new oil,” says Catherine Eden, director of the program.<separator></separator>“The baby boomer professionals came forward and said, ‘We wish we had this when we started, but we want the new public managers to be ready.’ ”<separator></separator>About 30 people are taking the course that specifically focuses on teaching water experts to better apply their administrative knowledge and skills for more positive impacts on the people they serve.<separator></separator>“We’re helping to develop public service professionals as they move up in their career and have to deal with a larger range of issues,” says Eden.<separator></separator>Participants include public managers, executives and elected officials from international, federal, state, county, municipal and tribal governments.<separator></separator>“The emphasis is on practical education,” says Eden. “We prepare people to take on new responsibilities and to be strong, ethical professionals, so they can best represent the people they serve.”<separator></separator>ASU’s Ramsey program has graduated nearly 12,000 students from its executive education courses since it began 25 years ago. The Certified Public Manager course is just one of the outstanding programs it offers.<separator></separator>The course gives managers the ability to take some time away from their everyday work environments in order to gain a better view of where they fit in the larger scheme of public administration, she says.<separator></separator>“The community you represent is important, but also links you to the greater community. You can’t work in a vacuum,” says Eden, who served as director of the Arizona Department of Health Services and as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives.<separator></separator>Participants learn to create partnerships and improve communication with other agencies, and better understand the various pressures elected officials face during the decision-making process. They develop skills to explain to officials why certain issues should be considered a high priority.<separator></separator>“I was one of the voices that asked Ramsey Executive Education to help develop my management team, and to specifically prepare water managers,” says Phoenix City Manager Frank Fairbanks. "They have the real world experience to make a difference.”<separator></separator>The courses are available online or in the classroom at the ASU Mercado building in Downtown Phoenix.<separator></separator>Ramsey Executive Education also offers capacity-building, leadership development and coaching services to public-sector organizations. This includes management training, strategic planning, program evaluation and workshops on current public administration issues and challenges.<separator></separator>Ramsey Executive Education is part of the School of Public Affairs in the College of Public Programs at the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus. The Ramsey program offices are in the ASU Mercado building at 502 East Monroe Street, Suite C110.<separator></separator>For information, visit <a href="http://ramseyexecutive.asu.edu">http://ramseyexecutive.asu.edu</a> or call (602) 496-1300.

School of Social Work