The Class of 2015 Toll Fellows represents 33 states and Puerto Rico, with 35 serving in the legislative branch, four serving in the judiciary and nine hailing from the executive. A nine-member committee of state leaders, many who are Toll Fellows themselves, reviewed a record number of applications to select the class.
Named for CSG founder Henry Wolcott Toll, the Toll Fellowship program is one of the nation's premier leadership development programs for state government officials. Each year, the program brings 48 of the nation's top officials from all three branches of state government to Lexington, Ky., for an intensive six-day, five-night intellectual boot camp.
"I applied to be a Henry Toll Fellow to support my interest in public service," Hall said. "Citizens depend on government to share a vision for the future, bring together stakeholders and enact long-term planning strategies. For government to succeed in that role there must be capable leadership within. I hope to improve my communication and problem-solving skills to become a more effective leader."
The program's agenda includes a lineup of dynamic speakers and sessions designed to stimulate personal assessment and growth, while providing priceless networking and relationship-building opportunities. While each year's program is unique, previous programs have included sessions on leadership personality assessment, media training, crisis management, appreciative inquiry, adaptive leadership and much more.
"The Toll Fellowship remains the oldest and most prestigious of all leadership development programs for elected officials," said David Adkins, CSG's executive director/CEO. "Its impact is profound and its quality is renowned. As a Toll Fellow from 1993, I know first hand the impact the program has on elected officials."
Adkins was a 1993 Toll Fellow when he served as a Kansas state representative.
Toll Fellows alumni include U.S. Rep. John Carney, a former Delaware lieutenant governor; former U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, a former Hawaii state Senate president; U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita, a former Indiana secretary of state; former North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue and former U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.
Hall said programs like Toll Fellows are important because they help state officials improve collaboration.
"Working in the legislature, I've tried to cultivate relationships with colleagues of both parties," he said. "Despite those relationships, it can still be very challenging to achieve consensus or persuade leadership of a route that is different than their own."
This year's program will be held Aug. 28-Sept. 2 in Lexington.
