Nesiba and Lesmeister Awarded Fellowships for Midwestern Leadership Institute
Lombard, Ill. — State Senator Reynold Nesiba of Sioux Falls and State Representative Oren Lesmeister of Parade were among 38 select lawmakers chosen to participate in a training program that annually identifies and assists promising state leaders in the Midwest.
Sen. Nesiba and Rep. Lesmeister will meet with fellow lawmakers from 10 other Midwestern states and four Canadian provinces on August 10-14 in Minneapolis, Minn., for The Council of State Governments’ 24th annual Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development (BILLD).
“The Bowhay Institute is one of the premier leadership training programs in the nation,” says Iowa Rep. Rob Taylor 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.”
Since 1995, more than 800 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.
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, the 2018 BILLD program will be held in partnership with the Center for the Study of Governance and Politics at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Courses and seminars are conducted by Humphrey 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, trade and transportation policy.
The Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development is named in honor of the late James Bowhay, longtime director of The Council of State Governments’ Midwestern Office. 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.