Councilmember Neal Black Awarded Certificate of Municipal Leadership
Published on May 30, 2023
Media Contact:
David Wolbrecht
Communications Program Manager
dwolbrecht@kirklandwa.gov
(425) 587-3021
KIRKLAND, Wash. – The Association of Washington Cities (AWC) recently awarded Kirkland Councilmember Neal Black with a Certificate of Municipal Leadership. Councilmember Black completed more than 30 hours of training credits to earn this distinction. AWC’s Certificate of Municipal Leadership program recognizes city and town elected officials for accomplishing training in five core areas:
- Roles, responsibilities, and legal requirements
- Public sector resource management
- Community planning and development
- Effective local leadership
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion
“Being a city leader in Washington is a complex job,” said AWC Chief Executive Officer Deanna Dawson. “Through our CML program we are providing our elected officials with the knowledge they need to effectively operate within the law, plan for the future, secure and manage funds, foster strong relationships, and work to build more equitable communities.”
Black was elected to Position 5 on the Kirkland City Council in November of 2019. He has been involved in public policy and related community service for over 25 years, including with the White House Office on Environmental Policy, the California State Assembly Natural Resources Committee, the US Department of Justice Environmental Enforcement Division, and the Environmental Defense Fund. He is a long-time resident of Kirkland and has been a fixture at Everest Park where he coached Kirkland American Little League baseball for 10 years. Black holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford University and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University.
Kirkland Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold, Councilmember Amy Falcone, and Councilmember Kelli Curtis have also been awarded a Certificate of Municipal Leadership, and Mayor Penny Sweet and Councilmember Toby Nixon have been awarded Advanced Certificates of Municipal Leadership.
AWC serves its members through advocacy, education, and services. Founded in 1933, AWC is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation that represents Washington's 281 cities and towns before the state legislature, the state executive branch, and with regulatory agencies. AWC also provides training, data and publications, and programs such as the AWC Employee Benefit Trust, AWC Risk Management Service Agency, AWC Workers’ Comp Retro, AWC Drug and Alcohol Consortium, and AWC GIS Consortium.