Partnership with Cinti Public Library results in award-winning program & new grads

Academics, Community, Students, Success Stories

May 14, 2025

Community Leadership Certificate graduates celebrating their achievement — Community Leadership Certificate graduates celebrated their achievement

One of the big challenges for public service organizations is how to efficiently and affordably help employees obtain the skills they need to advance their career and move into leadership positions.

The Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library (CHPL), in partnership with Cincinnati State, did just that by developing a Community Leadership Certificate Program, which began in 2023 with an initial class of 10 participants, all of whom graduated in Spring 2025.

The graduates celebrated at a luncheon held at Cincinnati State in April, and at Commencement on May 10.

The Community Leadership Certificate Program equips CHPL staff members who do not have a master’s degree in Library or Information Science to advance in public service roles, such as Branch Manager or Branch Supervisor. A second class with six participants is underway, and a third class is forming.

The 33-credit-hour online program allows participants to tailor their academic journey to fit their schedules. To make opportunities accessible to a wide range of library employees, CHPL covered the cost of courses.

Receiving the Outstanding Public Service Award: Front - Kathy Bach, CHPL; Julie McLaughlin, Cincinnati State; Paula Brehm-Heeger, CHPL Director. Back - Community Leadership Certificate students Michael Guess and Jenna Felsheim; Kyla Hardin, CHPL. — Receiving the Outstanding Public Service Award: Front – Kathy Bach, CHPL; Julie McLaughlin, Cincinnati State; Paula Brehm-Heeger, CHPL Director. Back – Community Leadership Certificate students Michael Guess and Jenna Felsheim; Kyla Hardin, CHPL.

The program won the 2024 Outstanding Public Service Award from the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). The award recognized excellence in public service initiatives, in the “Public Service Initiative” category.

Paula Brehm-Heeger, CHPL’s Eva Jane Romaine Coombe Director, said, “Our certificate program is not just about developing leaders; it’s about strengthening the future of public service for Hamilton County. The award from ASPA represents what can be achieved when we invest in people and partnerships to create meaningful change in public service.”

“Collaborating with great institutions like the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library is what Cincinnati State is all about,” said Julie McLaughlin, Professor and Chair of the Leadership Certificate and the Community Leadership Certificate at Cincinnati State. “We hope to partner with other regional institutions on similar programs.”

For more information about the certificate program, contact Julie at julie.mclaughlin@cincinnatistate.edu.

(Reporting & photos provided by CHPL and Julie McLaughlin)