MUNCIE, Ind. --- What do 5 a.m. water aerobics, confidence-building sessions and municipal clerk/clerk-treasurer certification and accreditation have in common? All were part of the " Millennium Connections" institute, sponsored in part by the Center for Organizational Resources (COR) at Ball State University.

The 45-hour institute provided more than skills and training to approximately 50 Indiana municipal clerks and clerk-treasurers seeking accreditation and advanced education, said Stephanie Huffman, assistant director of COR.

Participants learned how to get energized, renew self-esteem, and find the ‘leader within’, said Huffman.

"Most people just don’t realize the kind of stress involved in the day-to-day activities of clerks and clerk-treasurers," she said. "They essentially are the communicators of the good---but more often than not the bad---in their communities."

Huffman said citizens and council members look to the clerks and clerk-treasurers as the gatekeepers of community information and technology. Such expectations can take their toll on the clerk or clerk-treasurer, she added.

The institute---a "professional retreat," as Huffman referred to it---aside from its daily sessions covering topics from computer training to local government finance, concentrated on "pumping up" individual self-esteem and feelings of worth on the job.

"Our goal was to connect with the whole person behind the clerk or clerk-treasurer title, and a good part of that is providing overall wellness, something Ball State University is very committed to," she said.

From early morning water aerobics to walking tours of the campus, participants examined their professional and personal roles in preparation for the 21^st century.

Since the first week-long institute back in 1996, Huffman (then an intern assisting COR) has watched the number of participants jump from 10 to approximately 50.

One thing has remained the same, however, said Huffman.

"New clerks and clerk-treasurers still bring some of the same concerns to the institute," she said.

They are definitely wanting an outlet, a support group, other people who can relate to their frustrations and offer solutions to avoid workplace burn out, said Huffman.

In its 17^th year, the institute provides on-going accreditation and certification to Hoosier clerks and clerk-treasurers.

The institute is also sponsored by the Indiana League of Municipal Clerks & Treasurers and the International Institute of Municipal Clerks.

(Note to Editors: For more information about this story, please call Stephanie Huffman, COR assistant director, at (765) 285-2771.)