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Click here for the 2025 Agenda
In-person program:
Where: Drury Plaza Hotel Richmond - Richmond, Virginia
October 7, 2025 (Pre-Institute workshop) $125
October 8-9, 2025 (VMCA Institutes and Academy) $795
October 10, 2025 (Post-Institute workshop) $175
Interested in Athenian Leadership Society Dialogues?
Learn more about this series>
"Excellent! Out of four VMCA Institutes and Academies that I have attended, this was the best one yet."
(~2023 Institutes and Academy participant)
In partnership with the International Institute for Municipal Clerks (IIMC) and the Virginia Municipal Clerks Association (VMCA), VCU Continuing and Professional Education offers a rigorous continuing education program for IIMC members and associate members. The IIMC refers to our program as the IIMC-approved Virginia Institute.
The IIMC-approved Institutes and Academy program provides administrators who serve a Legislative Government Body (LGB) the tools required to make sure that public meetings, public records, elections and special projects operate smoothly. The IIMC will calculate and determine the allocation of points when members submit their applications for their Certified Municipal Clerk or Master Municipal Clerk. Members receive 1 point per 2 hours of Institute education.
This program offers a rich environment for peer engagement and collaborative learning. Participants benefit from:
The Virginia Municipal Clerks Association (VMCA) and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) offer an in-person program. Registration will open in Summer 2025 for clerks to enroll in the 2025 VMCA Institutes and Academy. Please check back for updates or join our mailing list.
Clerks may also register for VMCA Pre-Institute Workshops. These workshops offer:
Pre-Institute workshops provide in-depth training on specialized topics like de-escalation techniques, Athenian Dialogues, or other municipal leadership essentials. These workshops are tailored to enhance your expertise and equip you with actionable strategies to excel in your role.
Engage with peers, experts, and thought leaders in a more intimate setting before the main event. These workshops allow for meaningful connections, collaborative discussions, and shared learning experiences that can enhance your professional network.
With a smaller group setting and targeted content, pre-institute workshops offer a unique opportunity to dive deeply into specific areas of interest. This focused environment ensures you leave with practical knowledge and tools that can be immediately applied to your work.
Location: Hybrid (In-person + Virtual) | Drury Plaza Hotel Richmond
Facilitator: Libby Hume, MMC – Virginia’s Only Athenian Dialogue Facilitator
Cost: $125.00
Date & Time:
Session 1 (In-person): Tuesday, October 7, 2025 | 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM (Richmond, VA)
Session 2 (Virtual): Tuesday, October 14, 2025 | 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM (Zoom)
Athenian Dialogue: Educated by Tara Westover
Discover how the power of storytelling can deepen your leadership impact. In this IIMC-Approved Athenian Dialogue, participants will explore key leadership themes through discussion of a thought-provoking book (title to be announced), guided by Libby Hume, MMC, Virginia’s only certified Athenian Dialogue facilitator.
This highly interactive learning experience blends literature, personal reflection, and peer dialogue to create meaningful insight and practical leadership growth. Participants will connect book themes to their own challenges in leadership roles.
Note: Participants must attend both sessions to earn 6 hours of continuing education credit.
Location: In-Person | Drury Plaza Hotel Richmond
Facilitator: W. Kevin Massengill, County Administrator, Dinwiddie County, Virginia.
Cost: $175.00
Date & Time: Friday, October 10, 2025 | 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Leadership in Local Government: Managing People, Policy, and Politics
Municipal clerks operate in leadership-adjacent roles where they engage daily with elected officials, department heads, and the public, often navigating sensitive political and policy situations. In this session, Dinwiddie County Administrator W. Kevin Massengill will share essential leadership skills tailored to the clerk’s role. Drawing on his extensive experience in county governance and public administration, Kevin will provide practical strategies for building trust, fostering collaboration, and maintaining neutrality while working in high-stakes environments. Participants will leave equipped with tools to operate confidently and effectively, even in challenging political climates.
Why Enroll Early?
Secure your spot for this engaging Post-Institute session, designed to extend your learning and offer a deeper dive into key topics relevant to today’s municipal leaders. While the session title and speaker details will be announced soon, this additional training opportunity will provide participants with practical insights, interactive discussion, and actionable strategies to take back to their organizations.
Whether you’re looking to explore a specialized topic or build upon what you learned during the main Institute, this optional add-on session will be well worth the investment of time and energy.
Note: Spaces are limited, and this session may fill quickly once details are released — reserve your seat today!
The 2025 program will be held at the Drury Plaza Hotel Richmond at 11049 W Broad St, Glen Allen, VA 23060. The group rate is $110 per night plus tax and self-parking is complimentary.
To book your hotel reservation online click here.
Join our mailing list under 'Stay Connected' for the latest information about the Annual VMCA Institutes and Academy and Athenian Dialogues.
We offer three tracks for current and aspiring municipal clerks.
For clerks pursuing the Certified Municipal Clerk IIMC designation
Our Municipal Clerk Fundamentals Institute is for clerks new to the field or who have not previously attended an IIMC-approved institute. In this Institute, you will get a solid overview of the fundamental knowledge and foundational skills needed to be an effective municipal clerk.
For clerks pursuing the Certified Municipal Clerk IIMC designation
This Institute builds on the foundation of the Municipal Clerk Fundamentals Institute. You will explore public administration, leadership, and management themes that strengthen your ability to perform the core duties of a municipal clerk.
For clerks pursuing the Master Municipal Clerk IIMC designation and MMC holders
The Municipal Clerk Master Academy is for seasoned municipal clerks who have earned the Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) designation from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC). The Master Academy is an advanced educational program that includes a wide range of public administration, leadership, and management sessions that prepare clerks to perform more complex municipal duties.
Clerks select and register for their track, and then join VCU CPE, in October for the in person Institutes and Academy workshops.
For in-person workshops, the IIMC requires that clerks sign in and out of each workshop to verify attendance.
Clerks are encouraged to attend the full program. If that is not possible due to clerk-related duties or personal situations, continuing education hours may be earned for each workshop/session completed successfully. Each assessment link is sent only to clerks who fully attend the entire workshop/session. There are no registration fee credits nor continuing education hours (toward IIMC points) for partial attendance.
We offer online assessments via FlexiQuiz.
To receive continuing education hours (toward IIMC points), you need to attend the full workshop/session and pass its corresponding assessment. The Institute Director will send assessment links to clerks who attend the entire workshop/session as verified via sign in and out sheets. You will only have three opportunities to pass each assessment with a minimum score of 80%. Once you pass an assessment, a certificate is automatically issued for download and emailed to you for that workshop/session.
We recommend that clerks print and save electronic certificates for their records and IIMC credential applications.
The VMCA Institutes and Academy is designed for municipal clerks and aspiring municipal clerks working in Virginia. Clerks from other states are welcome to participate, although laws regarding document retention, Freedom of Information Act, and Conflict of Interest laws may vary from state to state. We strongly recommend that if your state has an IIMC-approved institute, you let your state's institute director know you are considering attending the Virginia Institute so he or she can advise you.
If you have questions on how the VMCA Institutes and Academy might be beneficial to you, please contact the Institute Director, Shelly Schuetz at ssschuetz@vcu.edu