Photo Courtesy of Paulding County

Jacob Hammitt, Kennesaw State University Student, Interns with the Paulding County Finance Department

Jacob Hammitt, an accounting major at Kennesaw State University, completed a summer internship for the Paulding County Finance Department as part of the 2016 Summer Georgia County Internship Program. Hammitt had no prior experience working within county government, yet did have a rudimentary knowledge of county operations. After completing his internship, he expressed a much deeper understanding of how government operates and noted that he developed a respect for county government staff, who are trying to make the best decisions for the taxpayer.

During his internship Hammitt’s main responsibility was working with the comptroller on the county’s budget. He assisted by gathering data from various departments and inputting the data into documents, which required formatting and analysis. Hammitt designed graphs and conducted analysis so that the data could be presented. All of that work was compiled and used in the final county budget.

Hammitt expressed that his greatest success during his internship was the finished county budget document that he assisted in creating. He was also very proud of the graphs that he built to convey the department financial information, which he believed displayed very pertinent and interesting data for the citizens of the county. Hammitt also found meeting people and delving into the county finances to be the most enjoyable part of his internship.

Hammitt expressed interest in working for county government after graduation, which he sees as important and rewarding work which will give him the opportunity to make improvements in the community.

For more information on the GCIP, please visit the ACCG Civic Affairs Foundation website at http://www.civicaffairs.org.

The Center for State and Local Finance at Georgia State University will host its popular executive education leadership course again this winter. The course helps equip professionals with the tools they need to be effective public sector leaders. Whether in state or local government, public schools, or nonprofits, participants will come away with knowledge to successfully influence others, interact with elected officials, and oversee team members. 

Last year, speakers included Ambassador Andrew Young, civil rights icon and former Atlanta mayor, and Anthony "Tony" Williams, the former D.C. mayor widely credited with turning around the District’s distressing budget troubles in the early 2000s. John Thomas, an Andrew Young School of Policy Studies scholar and professor, will teach the course. With four books and more than 60 articles in print, he is internationally recognized for his research in public management and policy.

Class takes place Feb. 6-8. To sign up for the course, register by Jan. 30 at http://cslf.gsu.edu/training/leadership/.

Call 404-413-0098 or email cslf@gsu.edufor more information.