Habersham County Commission Vice Chair Bruce Harkness is among 32 elected officials statewide who will be formally recognized this weekend for their civic training. On Saturday, April 29, the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) will award them certificates during the group’s annual conference in Savannah.
“Becoming a certified commissioner required me to go to some really awesome classes, which has really helped me become a better commissioner and better leader for my county,” says Harkness.
To achieve the status of Certified County Commissioner, officials must complete nine mandatory core courses through ACCG’s Lifelong Learning Academy. That amounts to a total of 66 hours of training focused on how county government works. Topics covered include county law, finance, development, ethics, human resources, leadership, property appraisal and taxation, and public health and safety.
Harkness completed his mandatory core classes last July and was officially certified in the fall. However, the ceremony to recognize the newly certified commissioners at Jekyll Island was postponed due to pending tropical weather.
Becoming a certified commissioner is the latest in a long line of academic and professional achievements for Harkness, who holds multiple post-secondary degrees in business and accounting, social studies, history and psychology, and law.
He runs a family-owned law firm in Demorest.
Before being elected to the Habersham County Board of Commissioners in 2018, Harkness served two terms on the Demorest City Council and one term on the Demorest Downtown Development Authority.
As someone whose family is deeply rooted in Habersham – he says his family dates back to the earliest settlers in 1799 – Harkness says, “I am proud to serve the people of Habersham County as one of their commissioners.”
