Flagler County Leadership Academy Celebrates 12 New Graduates

Twelve employees of local government graduated in the latest class of the Flagler County Local Government Leadership Academy. These graduates included representatives of several different county and city government entities within Flagler County. The graduation ceremony for the dozen individuals who completed the course was held on Thursday, February 12. The proceedings were held at the Sheriff Rick Staly Law Enforcement Center. The Flagler County Local Government Leadership Academy is put on in cooperation between the Flagler County Tax Collector’s Office and Daytona State College. Together with the local government bodies that make up Flagler County and its three cities, the Leadership Academy provides training for employees to advance themselves as torch-bearers in their workplace. Participants in the Academy undergo a four-month course taught by Dr. Joe Saviak, a longtime advisor and consultant in both the public and private sectors. Over 100 participants have graduated since Dr. Saviak and the Leadership Academy began. “We are looking forward to seeing your continued accomplishments for many years to come using everything you have learned,” Dr. Saviak said. “We congratulate you on this highly impressive personal, professional, and academic achievement. We celebrate your commitment to being the leaders who exemplify the very best in public service.” The Tax Collector’s Office is also a major backing force for the Leadership Academy. Shelly Edmonson, Flagler’s elected tax collector since 2025, is a professed supporter of the program. “We strongly believe in investing in the success of our teams,” Edmonson said. “While we may each serve different functions, we are one team united by a shared mission to provide effective, efficient, and responsive local government to the citizens we serve. This collaboration among our local government agencies strengthens our organizations for the long term — and Flagler County residents are the true winners.” The 2026 graduates of the Flagler County Local Government Leadership Academy are as follows. Kevin Archambault (Flagler County Tax Collector’s Office) Dave Herne (Flagler County Tax Collector’s Office) Phoebe LeBlanc (Flagler County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC)) Jessica Martin (Flagler County BOCC) Stefanie Plummer (City of Palm Coast) Amy Rader (Flagler County Tax Collector’s Office) Greyson Schlobohm (Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Office) Michael Schoenbrod (City of Flagler Beach) Grace Seay-Peres (Flagler County Tax Collector’s Office) Renee Swaggerty (Flagler Schools) Robert Tarczewski (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office) Michelle Udell (Flagler County Property Appraiser’s Office)