Washington, D.C. (January 3, 2025) — GovExec, the leading sales and marketing intelligence company for government leaders and contractors, and Professional Development Academy (PDA), a well-respected professional development and training platform for state, local and federal leaders, today announced the graduation of their first AI Leadership Academy cohort. Welcoming 342  elected officials, government administrators, and frontline leaders representing counties, cities, municipalities, school boards, and other government agencies across the country, the training promoted understanding of the power of AI, mitigating the risk of this evolving technology, and navigating the complexity of the cascading change unfolding with its integration.

Over the course of six weeks, participants in the AI Leadership Academy - located in Palm Beach County, Florida, Wake County, North Carolina, as well as several other counties and cities in states such as Idaho, Oregon, Arizona, Montana, Hawaii, California, and  Alaska -  had the opportunity to learn from and receive special mentorship from fellow government leaders, industry executives, researchers and professors from top universities, and subject matter experts on artificial intelligence through a fully virtual learning platform hosted on GovExec's proprietary Learning Management System. The platform also provided AI assessments, use case examples, and intentional points of peer-based collaboration, which 95% of the cohort considered valuable to their experience. Each graduate of the Academy received a Master Certificate in AI Leadership from the PDA National Leadership Board.

“We are very proud to celebrate this inaugural class for the Academy. Not only does this accomplishment mark a new chapter in our evolution of offerings, but it exemplifies our commitment to exploring the ways AI and emerging tech intertwine with leadership skills, possibilities, and more. We are excited to see how the graduates implement their takeaways in the field,” said Dr. Tim Rahschulte, Co-Founder of the Professional Development Academy and EVP at GovExec.

Graduate Testimonials:

• “AI is seen as a tool that could make the organizations and the departments within the organization more efficient and effective. However, with no policies, guardrails, or governance in place to guide the usage of AI, all things AI (Copilot, ChatGPT) are restricted or blocked. Attending this AI Leadership Academy was an opportunity to help advance AI knowledge within the organization and invest in the education of staff and stakeholders, which will increase and improve the opportunity to contribute to AI-driven ideas. I can build on the foundation received from this AI Leadership academy for future implementation in transformative technology.” - Head of the Project Portfolio Management Office for one of the largest counties in the U.S.
• “This was a great program, and the only like it I've seen at this time. The most valuable aspect was the readiness checklists and case studies from peers in the industry that we can look to for guidance, inspiration, and lessons learned.” - City Director of Regulatory Compliance
• “This was the most comprehensive AI course I have taken. Having people from various agencies, not just IT, was a helpful component.” - CIO, Carroll County

The AI Leadership Academy adds to PDA’s portfolio of training programs, which covers several areas of persisting and emerging topics impacting current and future leaders in the public sector. Other development programs include High Performance Leadership, Enterprise Cybersecurity, Leading the Digital Transformation, Maximizing Your Personal Brand, Leading in Analytics, and Advancing Leadership in Government.

To learn more about PDA and its offerings, visit pdaleadership.com.

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About GovExec

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Media Contact:
Liz Stein
lstein@govexec.com