Building Leadership and Professionalism for Alaska’s Supervisors

The Certified Public Manager (CPM) program is a nationally accredited management development program created by the American Academy of Certified Public Managers. The program is designed to develop management, supervision and leadership skills in the public and private sectors.

To complete the program, students must complete 300 hours of training modules taken from a variety of topics ranging from entry level supervisory skills to executive management skills and complete a practicum within a local organization. While the subjects being taught are diverse, program participants say that it all comes down to learning how to better lead people.

“This program is all about people, and how it is vital to have the skills to lead and also follow well,” said program graduate Sonia Schumacher, office manager for Design Alaska.

What are the Alaska certifications?
The Alaska Certified Public Manager (CPM) program awards three sequential levels of certification:

• Level One: Certificate of Supervisory Management
• Level Two: Certificate of Associate Manager
• Level Three: Certified Public Manager

Where is the CPM recognized?

The following states are accredited or active members of the National CPM Consortium: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Metropolitan Washington Council of Government, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, USDA Graduate School, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Associate members are California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Virgin Islands. Alaska's CPM Program was granted full accreditation in December of 1997.

Alaska Certified Public Manager statewide coordination
University of Alaska Corporate Programs (UACP) assumed statewide coordination of the Alaska Certified Public Manager program in 2005 in partnership with other University of Alaska campuses, the State of Alaska Division of Personnel, and the Alaska Municipal League. For more information, contact DeShana York, CPM Statewide Program Coordinator, at (907) 786-1198 or email corporateprograms@alaska.edu.