Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Twenty-five students participate in the orientation for the 2025-2026 MMA-Suffolk Certificate in Local Government Leadership and Management program in Winchester on Sept. 12.
The MMA and Suffolk University kicked off two Certificate in Local Government Leadership and Management programs in September, in Barnstable and Winchester.
Nearly 600 local officials have graduated from the certificate program since it began in 2011. The two current offerings are the 25th and 26th certificate classes.
Offered over the course of 25 Fridays during the academic year, the program covers a wide range of municipal management topics.
The next certificate programs will begin in September 2026 in Littleton and Medfield. Applications will be available on the program website on Feb. 1, 2026.
Municipal finance seminar
The MMA and Suffolk will be offering three Municipal Finance Management Seminar programs during the 2025-2026 academic year, in the fall, winter and spring.
The seminar is for municipal employees interested in furthering their careers in municipal finance or employees who are new to municipal finance.
The seminar provides an overview of municipal finance in Massachusetts, including the structure and purpose of local government, municipal budgeting systems and sources of revenue, financial reporting and record keeping, financial management, principles of property assessment, the intersection of human resources and financial resources, and best practices in local government finance.
Participants must be currently employed by a city or town, and must have the approval of their municipal manager, administrator or mayor to apply.
Seminars will be held via Zoom over the course of five Fridays, with start dates as follows:
• Fall 2025: Oct. 17 (fully enrolled)
• Winter 2026: Jan. 9
• Spring 2026: March 6
Twenty-six students participate in the orientation for the 2025-2026 MMA-Suffolk Certificate in Local Government Leadership and Management program in Barnstable on Sept. 5.
“We’ve seen great success with this program, which is addressing a longstanding need,” said John Petrin, a retired town manager and senior fellow and liaison for the MMA-Suffolk programs. “We’re filling an important gap in preparing the next generation of municipal finance professionals.”
Students are expected to attend all course sessions, participate in class activities, and complete all course assignments. Each session can accommodate up to 25 students, and the cost is $925.
Registration is first-come, first-served. Applicants will be vetted to ensure that they’re municipal employees and that there are no more than three participants per municipality.
Registration details for the winter session will be emailed to chief municipal officials in mid-October.
Questions about the registration process can be directed to Kate Evarts at [email protected] or 617-426-7272, ext. 172.
Human resources seminar
Applications are due on Oct. 10 for the winter 2026 session of the MMA-Suffolk Municipal Human Resources Seminar.
The seminar is designed for municipal employees interested in furthering their career in municipal human resources, employees who are new to municipal human resources, and employees who work in a municipal function with human-resources-adjacent tasks.
The seminar covers human resources management, policies and practices specific to Massachusetts cities and towns. Topics include hiring and onboarding, benefits administration, policy development, collective bargaining, and employee reviews and evaluations.
Students also review relevant labor laws and best practices in municipal human resources management.
The Municipal Human Resources Seminar will be held via Zoom over the course of five Fridays, with start dates as follows:
• Fall 2025: Oct. 17 (fully enrolled)
• Winter 2026: Jan. 9
• Spring 2026: April 10
The application for the winter seminar is available on the MMA website. This is a competitive application process; applicants will be informed of their status by early November.
Waitlisted applicants will receive emails when additional sessions are confirmed.
Questions
The MMA has partnered with Suffolk University since 2011 to offer programs designed exclusively for municipal employees to help them further their professional careers. For more information on any of the MMA-Suffolk programs, visit mma.org/suffolk or contact Katie McCue at 617-426-7272, ext. 111, or [email protected], or Kate Evarts at 617-426-7272, ext. 172, or [email protected].