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Buckingham County Board of Supervisors Chairman Harry Brant and Vice Chairman Don Matthews were all smiles at Monday night’s board meeting as they presented plaques and announced their completion of the Virginia Association of Counties’ (VACo) Chairpersons’ Institute.

According to VACo, the institute is presented by current and past county leaders and administrators and is carefully tailored to meet the training needs of community leaders in critical areas such as government structure, powers and responsibilities, media and internal work relations, managing meetings, citizen engagement and county government.

Matthews and Bryant spent a weekend in the state’s capital to undergo the training offered by VACo. Matthews said the institute covered important topics like Robert’s Rules of Order, public hearings and how to control a board meeting from a chairman’s position should the vice chairman need to step in.

Matthews said that the institute training was very beneficial. As the board in Buckingham assigns the role of chairman on a rolling basis each year, Matthews will assume the role of chairman come next year. The training left him feeling more prepared for the role.

Bryant felt similarly about his experience at the institute.

“I learned a lot. I think that it was conducted really well, and I was really glad to be a part of it.”