Education is a key function of the Municipal Association of South Carolina, which offers professional development that allows municipal elected officials and staff to serve their cities and towns better.
The Municipal Association has affiliate organizations that help communities of peers in various fields of local government to network, learn through specially developed training and share knowledge. Membership benefits include special member registration rates at meetings and access to listserves — online communities for sharing ideas, concerns and best practices — all at a nominal membership cost.
Current members of each affiliate association received a renewal notice in December, and membership is now open to new and returning members in all groups for 2024.
The affiliate organizations are these:
- Municipal Court Administration Association of SC – MCAA provides training for court administrators, clerks of court, municipal judges and other employees involved in court administration. The Supreme Court of South Carolina Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization and the Office of Victims Services recognize these workshops for continuing education credits. Staff contact: Sara Whitaker
- Municipal Technology Association of SC – MTASC exposes members to many technology systems, platforms and solutions. It offers training for IT staff, those with GIS responsibilities and employees working in other departments but whose duties include technology services. Staff contact: Sara Whitaker
- SC Association of Municipal Power Systems – SCAMPS focuses on legislative initiatives, mutual aid issues and provides training for elected officials, management staff and operational personnel of the electric cities in the state. Twenty of South Carolina’s municipal electric utilities are SCAMPS members. Staff contact: Elizabeth Copeland
- SC Association of Stormwater Managers – SCASM offers quarterly training on stormwater management policies and best practices. Training sessions address topics like proposed changes to stormwater regulations and case studies of innovative practices. The SC Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors recognizes the quarterly training sessions for continuing education credits. Staff contact: Sara Whitaker
- SC Business Licensing Officials Association – BLOA promotes best practices for administering the local business license tax through training, networking and the Accreditation in Business Licensing and Masters in Business Licensing credentials. Staff contact: Elizabeth Copeland
- SC Community Development Association – SCCDA training focuses on economic and community development needs, best practices and successful case studies. Members come from local and state government as well as private industry, elected positions and volunteer positions. Staff contact: Sara Whitaker
- SC Municipal Attorneys Association – The MAA annual training, designed for city and town attorneys, complies with the Supreme Court of South Carolina Commission on CLE and specialization requirements for continuing education credits. Staff contact: Eric Shytle
- SC Municipal Finance Officers, Clerks and Treasurers Association – MFOCTA training covers the diverse job responsibilities of its members. MFOCTA sponsors the Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Institute with the Municipal Association and the Joseph P. Riley Jr. Center for Livable Communities. The institute training program is approved by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks and the Association of Public Treasurers of the United States and Canada. Staff contact: Elizabeth Copeland
- SC Municipal Human Resources Association – MHRA helps members stay current on state and federal labor law and court rulings. The national Human Resources Certification Institute and the Society for Human Resources Management recognize this training for continuing education credits. Staff contact: Sara Whitaker
- SC Utility Billing Association – SCUBA trains members on utility billing, collections and customer service. Programs frequently focus on customer service skills, workplace safety and best practices in utility billing and collections. Staff contact: Ken Ivey
Join an affiliate online or by contacting the Association’s staff.