The Colorado Certified Public Manager® (CPM) program is designed to offer individuals in the public and non-profit sectors an opportunity to develop and improve their management and leadership skills. CPM builds and improves the performance of emerging governmental and nonprofit leaders. As our CPM graduates move forward in their careers, the acquired knowledge and skills will help them in improving public management, service delivery and governance throughout Colorado – which is the goal of our program.
Colorado CPM is a vital leadership and professional development program of the Buechner Institute for Governance, located within the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver. Created in 2009, CPM meets the needs of the state’s professional community through instruction offered by a blended corps of seasoned practitioners and university faculty affiliates of the Buechner Institute. The program emphasis centers on a range of public management and skills areas, as well as assisting students in career development.
Colorado CPM is the only nationally-accredited certified public manager program offered in the state and is recognized by the National CPM Consortium. The program was fully accredited in October, 2010. At present, the National CPM Consortium has 39 programs in 35 member states, including Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our neighboring states of Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming all offer their own CPM programs for their state constituents.
All CPM graduates in Colorado are eligible to join the American Academy of Certified Public Managers. For more information, click here. To visit Texas State University for more information about the national consortium and its accreditation processes, click here.
Colorado CPM is designed to enhance skills and abilities that participants need to deal with "real world" problems and situations. Collectively, the courses in the Colorado CPM curriculum address the following competency areas:
* Managing in the public and non-profit sectors
* Understanding public policy and public service
* Enhancing project management
* Managing for results
* Developing an ethical framework
* Managing people and leading teams
* Understanding law for public and non-profit managers
* Managing public and non-profit finances
* Managing information and information technology
* Public involvement in decision making
Graduate credits are available to CPM graduates interested in pursuing a Master in Public Administration (MPA) or a Master in Criminal Justice (MCJ) degree through CU Denver’s School of Public Affairs.
The Director of the Colorado CPM program is Dr. Brian J. Gerber, a faculty member of the School of Public Affairs and Executive Director of the Buechner Institute for Governance.
Stephanie Samano and Suzan Sailors, staff members of the Buechner Institute, provide overall program administrative support, oversee recruitment and marketing activities and provide career development assistance for CPM students. Additionally, Randy Harrison, a Senior Fellow at the Buechner Institute, provides general program support and development assistance.
What current students are saying about the Colorado CPM program: |
"The Colorado CPM program has enabled me to view my organization from a more global perspective. The concept of looking at the overall organization instead of one or a few sections of the organization has allowed me to identify strategic solutions that position us for long-term successes."
-- Bob Patterson, Director, Facilities and Fleet Management, Arapahoe County |
"I have enjoyed being part of the CPM program. The instructors are fantastic! The program provides flexibility, learning via online webinar or in the classroom. The program is important to me as I continue to improve my knowledge and enhance my career."
-- Lori Goodwin, Human Resource Manager, Garfield County |