HERSHEY — The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania Academy for Excellence in County Government recently graduated 22 county officials from its program during ceremonies at CCAP’s Fall Conference in Hershey.

Elk County commissioner Matthew Quesenberry Sr. was one of the graduates.

The academy is a certificate training program specifically designed for county commissioners, council members, county executives, administrators and assistant administrators, chief clerks and assistant chief clerks, solicitors and assistant solicitors, and their equivalents in home rule counties. Participants complete required courses in leadership, management and decision-making; county legal issues; today’s trends in county government; county functions and responsibilities; county financial management; risk management; personnel and labor relations; personal development; and, also attain elective credits by attending courses covering a wide range of relevant topics.

Since its inception in 1996, more than 150 county officials have graduated from the voluntary program.