VALDOSTA — Valdosta Police Department Cmdr. Leslie Manahan was honored by Valdosta City Council for graduating from an advanced Command College program.

During the City Council meeting, Police Chief Brian Childress and City Manager Mark Barber held a special presentation for Manahan graduating a 12-week program that spans a two-year period, according to city officials.

The program is designed to prepare government personnel to be future leaders and prepare them for advanced positions. Childress said Manahan is prepared to become a chief of police anywhere she wishes.

Courses include fiscal management in public finance, liability reduction, media relations, leadership, human resource management and development, according to city officials.

“This is a great achievement by Leslie. She is one of the hardest workers I have ever had the pleasure to work with and her efforts have again paid off. I am very proud of her,” Childress said.

After completing the program, students must complete a research project which is reviewed by the Command College. Once all requirements are complete, the student is awarded a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.

“This was a great opportunity afforded to me by the City of Valdosta, and an opportunity that I am truly appreciative of. I am thankful that the city leaders allowed me to participate in this program,” Manahan said.

In May, Manahan completed all command college requirements and was awarded a Master’s Degree.

“We are very proud of Commander Manahan for this tremendous accomplishment,” said City Manager Mark Barber.

Also during the meeting, the city approved a contract with Sages Networks to buy an electronic plan review software for the city inspections department. This will allow the city to continue its effort to become paperless.

The inspections department has been looking for a digital plan review solution for some time and asked City Council to implement a digital plan to streamline processes, make record retention more affordable and improve customer service, city documents state. 

There is a one-time cost of $37,133 for the initial setup, configuration, integration, training and Bluebeam review and a monthly cost of $4,080 for the annual subscription.

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256