Local government officials – both newly elected and veterans – gathered at Angels Stadium in Anaheim last week to roll up their sleeves for the Association of California Cities – Orange County’s (ACC-OC) bi-annual Public Policymakers Academy.

Topics from how pension systems work to navigating the Brown Act to infrastructure technology and the role of city clerk brought these officials two-days worth of dialogue to help them serve their constituents better. The attendees met Angels Stadium’s press conference room, which was provided by the Angels Baseball.

“I left this academy feeling like I’ve been in office for years,” said recently elected Tustin councilman Dr. Allan Bernstein. “ACC-OC’s Policymakers Academy was like going through a college course in two days – it was challenging, but I’ve emerged a better policymaker.”

Close to 100 elected officials and staff from nearly every Orange County city, the Orange County Board of Supervisors, local municipal agencies and cities from as far away as Ridgecrest in Kern County attended the academy to learn from more than 40 expert speakers. In many cases, multiple members of staff joined with their council members.

 “The program is designed as a crash course in a near-comprehensive list of issues that our elected leaders and staff deal with everyday,” said ACC-OC CEO Lacy Kelly. “The incredible attendance is testament to the care and seriousness that our officials approach public service.”

The Academy was developed by ACC-OC members and program advisers as well as the ACC-OC City Managers Committee, chaired by Buena Park City Manager Jim Vanderpool. More than 20 local agencies, associations and non-profits presented their roles in local governments and how they can serve as resources to elected officials.