Last week, 165 city clerks and municipal finance officers from across Kansas spent the week in Wichita learning about topics as varied as municipal accounting, records management, working with the Legislature, cyber security, trust, human resources and    more.

   The CCMFOA Institute, facilitated by the Public Policy and Management Center, is approved by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks. The sessions help clerks obtain educational hours needed to receive their professional designations.

   A highlight this year was viewing the movie "All the Queen's Horses," which recaps the story of major fraud in a small community. F ormer IIMC President Mary Lynn Stratta facilitated a followup discussion on ethics. Clerks expressed appreciation for the opportunity to talk about red flags and ethical behaviors.

   The 165 in attendance included clerks in their first year on the job as well as veteran public servants. On Nov. 15, 24 clerks celebrated their graduations from the 120-hour institute. Retired Wichita Fire Chief Ron Blackwell was the featured commencement speaker.