New Chiefs Attend Training
Twenty-two (22) newly or recently appointed Chief and Assistant Chief Probation Officers now have a greater grasp on leading their departments. The New Chief Probation Officer Orientation was held March 8 and 9 in Indianapolis at the offices of the Indiana Judicial Center.

The orientation was put on in cooperation with the Indiana Judicial Center. POPAI President, Eric Zimmerman, said, “Once again, it was great to see our Association and the Indiana Judicial Center partner together in order to enhance the level of probation services in Indiana.” Veteran Chief Probation Officers from around the state, Judicial Center staff, as well as an employment specialist from the State Court Administrators office presented the curriculum over the two-day event.

The training was targeted directly for probation administrators in Indiana who have been appointed within the past three (3) years and was the first official project of the newly formed Chief’s Executive Committee of POPAI. The Chiefs' Executive Committee Chair, Greg Werich, said, “I believe most Chiefs enter the job with not much formal management training and are expected to lead their departments. Our focus was to inform attendees of their basic statutory responsibilities and introduce them to leadership skills needed for effective probation management; to provide a tool box of knowledge to which they can continually add.”

Comments from attendees included:

“This was the best training I have ever attended”

“Thanks so much for all the work and effort you folks put into the orientation. I came back to the office excited, inspired and with lots of new ideas and information on how to make our department better.”

“This was a great learning tool! Exactly what I needed as a new administrator!”

“Great conference - wonderful info for all CPOs, not only the new ones.”

Eight (8) key areas were targeted in the training. Topics included: Administrative Standards; Budgeting; Human Resources; Public Relations; Creative Programming; Time Management; Networking; and Strategic Planning.

POPAI plans to make the training an annual event.

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Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana, Inc.
P.O. Box 44148
Indianapolis, IN 46244