Sequim City Councilmember Dennis Smith has received a Certificate of Municipal Leadership (CML) from the Association of Washington Cities (AWC).
AWC’s Certificate of Municipal Leadership program recognizes city and town elected officials for accomplishing training in four core areas: roles, responsibilities, and legal requirements; public sector resource management; community planning and development; and effective local leadership.
“Cities and towns around the state are continually transforming in light of changing laws and the need to meet new challenges and opportunities,” said AWC Chief Executive Officer Peter B. King.
“Our Certificate of Municipal Leadership program helps mayors and councilmembers sharpen the tools they need today to understand the legal landscape, plan for the future, manage their resources, and foster strong relationships. The elected officials who earn this certificate demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning and a desire to bring new ideas back to their community.”
Smith completed more than 30 hours of training credits to earn this distinction. He was appointed to the City Council in 2012 and elected in 2014 and 2018. He served as Deputy Mayor in 2014 and 2015 and as Mayor from 2016 through 2019. Smith currently serves on the Peninsula Regional Transportation Planning Organization, Shiso Sister City Association, City of Sequim Finance Committee, and as liaison to the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce. He previously served on the Board for Clallam Transit and as liaison to the City of Sequim Planning Commission.
AWC serves its members through advocacy, education, and services. Founded in 1933, AWC is a private, non-profit, non-partisan corporation that represents Washington’s cities and towns before the state legislature, the state executive branch, and with regulatory agencies. AWC also provides training, data and publications, and programs such as the AWC Employee Benefit Trust, AWC Risk Management Service Agency, AWC Workers’ Comp Retro, AWC Drug and Alcohol Consortium, and AWC GIS Consortium.