Over 90 municipal officials graduate from training program

The Alabama League of Municipalities held its annual graduation and awards ceremonies on October 20, 2026, at the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center. More than 90 municipal officials graduated from its Certified Municipal Official program.

Under the Alabama Municipal Official Training Act, which took effect January 1, 2025, mayors and council members who are not certified must complete 40 hours of training during their terms: 20 hours of core training and 20 hours of noncore training. Those who have earned basic certification must complete five hours of training annually.

“With the world continuously changing, lifelong learning is essential for the betterment of our communities, and the Alabama League of Municipalities remains dedicated to providing intentional, engaging opportunities for municipal officials to learn best practices and skills to be their best selves,” league Executive Director Greg Cochran said. “The League is proud to celebrate 98 graduates of our Certified Municipal Official program for working hard over the year to earn these distinguished certifications that will allow them to better serve their cities and towns.”

Throughout the year, officials receive classroom instruction and take online courses covering government operations, best practices and compliance with state laws. Officials can earn three levels of certification by completing 40, 80 and 120 credit hours of training.

This year’s honorees included 50 certified municipal officials, 41 advanced certified municipal officials and eight CMO emeriti. The league also recognized 11 CMO Tier II emeriti and one CMO Tier III emeritus who completed more than 120 credit hours of training. Twelve graduates earned their basic and advanced certifications simultaneously.

The league also presented Certified Municipal Achievement Awards to Glencoe, Hokes Bluff and Shorter. Established in 2018, the awards recognize municipalities whose mayor and every council member each complete at least 40 credit hours of training within a year.

As of the ceremony, more than 5,200 municipal officials had participated in the league’s municipal government training since the program began 32 years ago.

View the full list of 2026 graduates and award recipients here.