In the Hot Seat: Leading Through Public Scrutiny
- Chapel Hill, NCMarch 19, 2025

This class will be held from 10am - 3pm at the School Of Government.
It is open to local government professionals and local elected officials
In today’s challenging environment, local elected officials are often the first to address constituents' concerns, sometimes facing their frustrations and anger. This workshop focuses on crisis/issue communication best practices, empathy in challenging situations, diffusing tense exchanges, and handling public scrutiny.
Led by the seasoned media law attorney and crisis communication expert, Mark Weaver, this session will provide practical tips to help officials navigate these challenging scenarios effectively.
Participants in this workshop will learn:
- Ways to express empathy and understanding in challenging situations
- Crisis communications best practices
- How to respond to questions you’re not allowed to answer
- Techniques for diffusing tense exchanges.
- Understanding where people may and may not record your activity and what to do when someone with a camera crosses the line.
LELA Level: This is a 201 Level course in the Local Elected Leaders Academy. Elected officials who attend this class will earn 6 credits towards the Practitioner recognition certificate.
Members of Civic Federal Credit Union (Civic) and Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU), who are local government employees, are eligible to apply for a scholarship towards tuition for conferences, classes, and seminars offered by the School of Government. There are four deadlines to submit applications:
- March 1 (for courses starting between April 1 and June 30)
- June 1 (for courses starting between July 1 and September 30)
- September 1 (for courses starting between October 1 and December 31)
- December 1 (for courses starting between January 1 and March 31)
The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners provides cost offsets for county elected officials to attend LELA courses. For information on this discount please click the link below.
- Chapel Hill, NCMarch 19
Chapel Hill, NCView Scholarship InformationMembers of Civic Federal Credit Union (Civic) and Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU), who are local government employees, are eligible to apply for a scholarship towards tuition for conferences, classes, and seminars offered by the School of Government. There are four deadlines to submit applications:
- March 1 (for courses starting between April 1 and June 30)
- June 1 (for courses starting between July 1 and September 30)
- September 1 (for courses starting between October 1 and December 31)
- December 1 (for courses starting between January 1 and March 31)
The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners provides cost offsets for county elected officials to attend LELA courses. For information on this discount please click the link below.
View Cancellation PolicyCourse participants who cancel their registration on or before March 11, 2025 will receive a full refund. No refund will be made for cancellations on or after March 12, 2025, but you will receive a transferrable credit to be used within 12 months. Click here to view the School’s full cancellation and refund policy.$250.00Registration and payment for this course grants access for a single attendee. In order to register a group of attendees, please register each person individually. If you have questions, please contact our registration office at registration@sog.unc.edu or 919.966.4414.