Office of Public Leadership
The Office of Public Leadership provides leadership and management training, mentoring and other learning opportunities for elected and appointed government officials, primarily at the local level. The Office also serves in a consulting role for units of government interested in improving their leadership education and in other matters of policy and procedure. Many of these programs are conducted in partnership with associations representing officials at various levels of local government throughout the state.
The Office of Public Leadership conducts leadership training programs in partnerships with the Illinois Municipal League, the United Counties Council of Illinois, and the Township Officials of Illinois. OPL also works with the Cook County Court System, the Illinois State Police and the state Department of Central Management Services. The Office also has established an alliance of mayors of communities along Interstates 74 and 72 in central Illinois, which works to bring municipal governments along the two highways closer to the research faculty of the University of Illinois.
Major OPL programs are as follows:
- Leadership Enhancement and Development (LEAD), a program for elected and appointed municipal officials to provide practical information and skills needed for efficient governing.
- The Leadership Forum, a "graduate course" for municipal officials interested in the continuing development of their practical problem-solving and leadership skills. The curriculum is designed to focus on contemporary issues, policy issues and professional developments, using case studies and simulations.
- The Leadership Academy, a leadership development program primarily for county board members and county officials across the state. A similar program exists for township officials.
