Douglas City Commissioners Steve Bailey, Mike Gowen, and Edwin Taylor received Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute Certificates during the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) Annual Convention in Savannah on Monday, June 23, 2025. This institute, a partnership between GMA and the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, offers a nationally recognized series of training opportunities for city officials.
“This is a remarkable achievement,” said GMA CEO and Executive Director Larry Hanson. “The investment that Commissioners Bailey, Commissioner Gowen, and Commissioner Taylor have made through their commitment to professional development sets the standard for innovation and service in local government across our state. These achievements not only benefit the City of Douglas but also strengthens their effectiveness as a city official.”
City Commissioner Mike Gowen and City Commissioner Edwin Taylor were each awarded a Certificate of Excellence. To earn this certificate, a minimum of 120 hours of training must be completed, which includes at least 54 hours from a required list, as well as attendance at the Newly Elected Officials Institute and the Robert E. Knox, Jr. Municipal Leadership Institute. The training program offers more than 80 courses.
City Commissioner Steve Bailey received a Certificate of Achievement, which requires at least 72 hours of training, including a minimum of 36 hours from the required list and participation in the Newly Elected Officials Institute. This program also consists of more than 80 courses.
About the Georgia Municipal Association: Based in Atlanta, GMA is a voluntary, non-profit organization that provides legislative advocacy, educational, employee benefit and consulting services to all of Georgia’s 537 cities. GMA anticipates and influences the forces shaping Georgia’s cities and to provide leadership, tools and services that assist municipal governments in becoming more innovative, effective and responsive. Created in 1933, the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) is the only state organization that represents municipal governments in Georgia. For more information, visit www.gacities.com.
