Elected Officials Academy

The Elected Officials Academy (EOA) includes two programs: Municipal Foundations and Municipal Operations.

Municipal Foundations

The Municipal Foundations program familiarizes municipal elected officials with foundational aspects of municipal governance. Session topics include forms of government, charters, ethics, public records, open meetings, effective meetings, and finance.

Dates: January 25 – 27, 2027
Time: 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM ET/4:30 PM – 7:00 PM CT
Fee: $185 (invoiced to your municipality after attendance)
TBOUR Approval: 7.5 hours Utility Board Credit
Registration

Municipal Operations

This Municipal Operations program provides an overview of the responsibilities and oversight of municipal elected officials related to the operational functions in municipalities. Session topics include human resources, public works, police services, and fire services.

Dates: February 1 – 4, 2027
Time(s): 
February 1 (5:30 PM – 7:00 PM ET/4:30 PM – 6:00 PM CT)
February 2 – 4 (5:30 PM – 8:00 PM ET/4:30 PM – 7:00 PM CT)
Fee: $185 (invoiced to your municipality after attendance)
TBOUR Approval: 7.5 hours Utility Board Credit.
Registration

Attendance Requirements

• Interested participants are welcome to register for either EOA program or both; it is not required to attend both or to attend Municipal Foundations before Municipal Operations.
• MTAS will award full credit to participants who attend all sessions in their selected EOA program(s).
• MTAS will determine partial attendance credit for participants who arrive late, leave early, or miss sections of their selected EOA program(s).

For questions about the MTAS Elected Officials Academy (EOA) or assistance with registration, please contact Matt Hensley, Ph.D., EOA Program Lead (matt.hensley@tennessee.edu)

EOA Program Schedule at a Glance

Training Requirements for Tennessee Elected Officials

Being an effective board member begins with a clear understanding of the utility training requirements.

• Board members must complete 12 hours of utility training within one year of their initial appointment or election to the board.
• Once the initial training requirement is complete, board members must complete 6 hours of continuing education every three years. MTAS recommends completing 2 hours of training each calendar year.
• When one or more board members fail to meet the minimum training requirements, the local government will be referred to the Tennessee Board of Utility Regulation (TBOUR). 

Questions about submitting or recording utility training hours should be directed to the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury: (615) 747-5260 or utilities@cot.tn.gov

Elected Officials Special Topic Series

The Elected Officials Special Topic Series provides quarterly, free training sessions on Zoom or in-person. New sessions are announced as they are confirmed.

Newly Elected Officials Guide to Taking Office

Click on the following link to view the Newly Elected Official's Guide to Taking Office. In this document, we address some common questions of when and how you take office, who may administer your oath, and what information should be included the oath of office. 

Upcoming Elected Officials Academy Courses/Events

We invite you to review all of the upcoming EOA courses and events on our Training Calendar.

See the Training Calendar