Blaine County Treasurer Crystal Campos-Perez recently achieved advanced one and advanced two accreditations for county treasurers through the County Training Program (CTP). CTP is part of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service at Oklahoma State University and is mandated by state statute and authorized under the Commission on County Government Personnel Education and Training.
Campos-Perez completed a minimum of 63 hours of instruction for her basic accreditation. She then completed 48 hours for her Advanced I Accreditation. For her Advanced II Accreditation, she completed an additional 36 hours of coursework. She also completed exercises after every course and earned scores of at least 80%. Campos-Perez was honored at the County Treasurers Association of Oklahoma Annual School held recently in Durant.
The County Treasurers Association of Oklahoma, in partnership with CTP, instituted a voluntary accreditation program in 1992, which included an initial basic level of accreditation. In 1999, the association adopted an advanced level of accreditation. In 2003, an advanced II level was added. Since the program’s inception, more than 475 treasurers and deputies have successfully attained one or more levels of accreditation.
Coursework for treasurers and their deputies encompasses subjects such as basic accounting; investments and collateral; tax sales; budgeting; purchasing and bidding procedures; customer service; tax roll corrections; and land records.
Instructors from OSU teach these classes at various locations throughout the state, including on the university’s campuses in Stillwater and Oklahoma City. In addition to county treasurers, the OSU staff also teaches classes for other county officer accreditation programs. Many of the courses, which are usually taught in a classroom setting for 25-50 people, are attended by representatives from each of the elective and appointive agencies in county government. Some classes are offered asynchronously online, allowing participants to complete the course at their own convenience.
For more information about educational training for county offices, contact the OSU County Training Program at 405-744-6160 or by visiting their website.