VERO BEACH — The Vero Beach City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to send City Manager Jim O’Connor to the Indian River Chamber of Commerce beginning in January 2012.
The city will spend $825 in budgeted funds for O’Connor to attend nine sessions of the course, which is designed to train local business, government and community leaders to “make a difference” in Indian River County.
Councilwoman Tracy Carroll advocated for O’Connor to participate, she said, because she is a graduate and knows first-hand that the curriculum and exposure to other local leaders would help broaden O’Connor’s knowledge of Vero Beach and the surrounding areas.
O’Connor moved to Vero Beach from Winchester, Va., in July to take the Vero position.
Councilman Brian Heady said he was opposed to the expenditure of funds, since the city had spent substantial money to conduct a wide search for an experienced city manager with extensive leadership skills and background.
The nine sessions, which include an orientation on Jan. 9 and a graduation on July 17, cover county and municipal government, education, agriculture, ecology, culture, heritage, economic development, tourism, human needs and human services.
In O’Connor’s application for the course, he outlined the areas in which he hoped to benefit from the program. He listed the economy, jobs, infrastructure, aging housing, skilled workforce and training and education in today’s market.
“This will provide me the opportunity to learn the community which will let me know what opportunities are available to use my time in the Vero Beach area,” O’Connor also wrote about the program.
“Being relatively new to the area, I also hope to learn the working relationships of associations and the types of services offered,” he added.
Space in the program is limited and the deadline to register for the 2012 leadership program with the Indian River Chamber of Commerce is Nov. 11.
The fee is $825 for Chamber members or employees of chamber members, or $925 for those who are not members of the chamber.
For more information, contact the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce for an application.