Vermont state Rep. Barbara Rachelson has been selected to participate in one of the nation’s premier leadership development programs for state government officials, The Council of State Governments’ Henry Toll Fellowship program.
The 48 leaders in the Class of 2016 Toll Fellowship program hail from 29 states, Puerto Rico and Guam and represent all three branches of state government. A 12-member committee of state leaders, many who are Toll Fellows themselves, reviewed applications and selected the class.
“I am committed to learning and am always seeking out ways to advance my skills and knowledge,” Rachelson said. “In both my roles as a state legislator and the executive director of a statewide nonprofit agency, further developing my leadership skills will help me to serve the people of Vermont more effectively.”
For 30 years, the Toll Fellowship program, named for CSG founder Henry Wolcott Toll, has convened a group of the nation’s top state officials for an intensive, six-day, five-night intellectual boot camp. This year's program will be held Aug. 26-31 in Lexington, Kentucky.
The program's agenda includes a lineup of dynamic speakers and sessions designed to stimulate personal assessment and growth, while providing networking and relationship-building opportunities. Each year's program is unique, but previous programs have included sessions on leadership personality assessment, media training, crisis management, appreciative inquiry and adaptive leadership.
“The Toll Fellowship program provides elected officials with an invaluable and incomparable leadership development experience,” said David Adkins, CSG executive director/CEO. “In addition, the program fosters lasting friendships among a diverse group of elected officials with a like-minded passion for public service.”
Adkins was a 1993 Toll Fellow when he served as a Kansas state representative.
Toll Fellows alumni include Oregon Gov. Kate Brown; U.S. Rep. John Carney, a former Delaware lieutenant governor; Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey; Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap; Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett; Delaware Gov. Jack Markell; Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin; Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill; Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate; U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita, a former Indiana secretary of state; and former U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.
Rachelson said the opportunity to learn from and network with state officials from across the country will help her become a stronger leader in her own state.
“Hearing what others are doing outside of Vermont is important to me to get new perspectives and be exposed to new ideas and people,” she said. “I hope to come back with fresh ideas, new insights and skills, and new colleagues.”
The Council of State Governments is a region-based forum that fosters the exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials shape public policy. CSG is the nation’s only organization that serves all three branches of state government. For more information, visit www.csg.org.