The Florida Counties Foundation (FCF) presented Palm Beach County Mayor Mack Bernard with the Advanced County Commissioner (ACC) designation following completion of a comprehensive study program developed by the foundation. Mayor Bernard received the recognition along with 22 other county commissioners throughout the state during an awards ceremony held at the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) annual conference in Orange County.

Launched in 2006, the Advanced County Commissioner education program is a leadership program designed for graduates of the Certified County Commissioners (CCC) program. Mayor Bernard earned his CCC designation in 2018.

The advanced course content focuses on leadership with an emphasis on the future of Florida. Participants are tasked with preparing for the future by thinking and acting anew and asserting skillful leadership in times of daunting challenges and rapid change. The program is organized as a series of three seminars with 27 total hours of course work required. Participating commissioners must commit to fully participate in all three sessions in order to graduate.

"Given that this is a voluntary program, the commissioners who chose to participate have shown an exemplary commitment to the betterment of the communities they serve," said FCF Executive Director Eric Poole. "The program is structured in a way that allows veteran commissioners from across the state to work collaboratively on Florida's most pressing challenges."

The University of Florida/IFAS Extension has sponsored this program for the past 12 years. For more than 85 years, the Florida Association of Counties has represented the diverse interests of Florida's counties, emphasizing the importance of protecting home rule and helping counties effectively serve Floridians through advocacy, education and collaboration.