MLA awarded fellowship
- Details
- Published on Monday, August 1, 2016
By Lauren A. Tomaka
Submitted Article
Riding Mountain MLA Greg Nesbitt is among 33 select lawmakers chosen to participate in a training program that annually identifies and assists promising state and provincial leaders in the Midwest. Nesbitt, who won election to the Manitoba legislature in the April 19 election, will meet with fellow lawmakers from 11 Midwestern states and three other Canadian provinces Aug. 12-16 in Madison, Wis. for The Council of State Governments’ 22nd annual Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development (BILLD).
“The Bowhay Institute is one of the premier leadership training programs in the nation,” says Indiana representative Ed Clere, who serves as co-chair of the institute’s steering committee. “The legislatures in the region have benefited greatly from the skills their members have gained through this unique educational experience. Many of the graduates now hold leadership positions in their state or province.”
Since 1995 more than 700 lawmakers have graduated from the Bowhay Institute. State legislators from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin are chosen to participate through a competitive, nonpartisan selection process. Members of the Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan legislative assemblies are selected by their caucuses to take part in the program.
“I am truly humbled and excited to be selected from the Progressive Conservative caucus to represent Manitoba at this prestigious event,” says Nesbitt.
BILLD was founded in 1995 to help new legislators meet the demands of increased policy responsibility being shifted to the states and, in many states, term limits. These two emerging forces highlight the shortage of training available for legislators –- a void that BILLD aims to fill.
A program of The Council of State Governments’ Midwestern Office, BILLD is held in partnership with University of Wisconsin’s Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs. Courses and seminars are conducted by La Follette faculty, Midwestern legislative leaders and professional development experts. In addition to courses designed to develop leadership skills, the program analyzes a variety of public policy issues, including the economy, education and corrections policy. The program is funded through grants from foundation and corporate sponsors and an in-kind contribution provided by The Council of State Governments’ Midwestern Office.
