Academy teaches residents about what makes city tick

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This fall, the city of Las Vegas will kick off its third annual Las Vegas Citizens Leadership Academy, a program designed to teach valley residents about the city's daily operations through a series of tours, discussions with city leaders and interactive activities.

Maggie Plaster, management analyst II in the city manger's office, said city manager Doug Selby created the academy in 2004 to give community members a better idea of how the city government works and what it does.

"It's usually a big surprise to (academy participants) how much is done," Plaster said.

In addition to teaching valley residents about the day-to-day workings of the city government, Plaster said the academy also helps supply the city government with a good group of "volunteers and advocates."

Each year, about 25 community members are selected to participate in the Citizens Leadership Academy. All Clark County residents are encouraged to apply, though Plaster said primary consideration is generally given to city of Las Vegas residents and business owners.

The program will consist of 10 workshops, each dealing with a different facet of Las Vegas government. Eight of the workshops will be held on Tuesday nights, while the remaining two are set for Saturday mornings.

Though the city asks that participants attend at least seven of the eight evening courses and one of the two Saturday courses, graduates said they wished the program had gone for even longer than eight weeks.

"My only criticism of the program is that there is an overwhelming amount of information, all of which is fascinating," said Susan Scann, an attorney and graduate of the 2005 class. "I highly recommend it."

This year, Citizens Leadership Academy participants also will take tours of the KCLV-TV, Channel 2, station; a fire station; water treatment plants; a post office; and the Darling Tennis Center.

"Every aspect of the city is covered," Plaster said. "This year, we'll take a tour of the Regional Justice Center, and we've toured the detention facilities and the downtown offices, including the office of business development. Participants are exposed to city government through tours, presentations or both."

Applications to participate in this year's Citizens Leadership Academy are due July 28 and the first workshop will be held Sept. 5. The program will conclude with a graduation ceremony set for Nov. 1.

Jean Zorn, a Rancho Manor resident and president of the Rancho Manor Neighborhood Association, is a graduate of the 2004 Citizens Leadership Academy. She said as president of the neighborhood association, the academy gave her a lot of helpful reference points to share with other members of the association.

"The printed material they gave us was wonderful for if you wanted to reference something," she said. "It let you know where to go."

Zorn said one of the most helpful things she learned about during the Citizens Leadership Academy was the city's code enforcement and rapid response programs. Since participating in the academy, she has called code enforcement to take care of graffiti or neglected and abandoned cars on property in her neighborhood.

"They treated us like first-class citizens, and the people at the city devoted their time at night to give us lectures and take us on field trips, so it was a wonderful experience," Zorn said.

Timothy McCoy, another 2004 Citizens Leadership Academy graduate and a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty, said the first thing he got out of the class was a thorough understanding of how expansive a job it is to run the city of Las Vegas.

"The second thing was an understanding of how individuals, if they are willing to spend a little time participating in any of the city's programs, can have an impact on the direction the city takes," he said.

McCoy said he heard that the city was looking for community members to take part in the program, and thought it would be an interesting experience.

"I've lived in Las Vegas since March of 1968, so I had some knowledge of the changes that have gone on," the Centennial area resident said. "I had a good time with the program ... It was really well thought out and thorough. They did a top notch job, and the city is really on the cutting edge with its programs."

Mary McClellan, a commercial real estate associate with Lee & Associates, is a graduate of the 2005 class. She said the highlight of the program was getting more familiar with the Las Vegas Valley.

"I've been here for four years, so I know the city fairly well, but there were a lot of things about the city that I didn't know firsthand, so I feel more informed," the Summerlin area resident said. "I was inspired by how the city is always striving to do the best it can for the community, like efforts to use bio-diesel fuels, and an experimental field for Astroturf."

McClellan said she also learned about many of the city of Las Vegas' initiatives to keep neighborhoods from going downhill, and said she has shared much of that information with landlords she works with.

"Knowing the code enforcement people by name is really cool," she said. "I got so much out of the class and I'm a commercial realtor. I'm sure other people also got other things that were just as valuable out of it."

Applications to participate in the Citizens Leadership Academy must be received by 5 p.m. on July 28. Community members selected to participate in the academy will be notified during the week of Aug. 21.

For more information or to obtain an application, call 229-6501, or visit www.lasvegasnevada.gov/citizensacademy. Applications can be mailed to the Office of Administrative Services, 400 Stewart Ave., or faxed to 464-2611.