METROPOLIS – State Representative Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) was among 38 select lawmakers to complete a leadership training program that identifies and assists emerging state and provincial leaders in the Midwest.
Representative Windhorst met with fellow lawmakers from Illinois, 10 other Midwestern states and three Canadian provinces on August 27-31 in Madison, Wisconsin for The Council of State Governments’ 27th annual Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development (BILLD).
“The Bowhay Institute is one of the premier leadership training programs in the nation,” says Iowa Sen. Amy Sinclair, 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 states.”
Since 1995, more than 900 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, non partisan selection process. Members of the Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan legislative assemblies are selected by their caucuses to take part in the program.
A program of The Council of State Governments’ Midwestern Office, the 2022 BILLD program included courses and seminars conducted by policy experts, Midwestern legislative leaders, and professional development trainers. In addition to a curriculum designed to develop leadership skills, the program analyzed a variety of public policy issues, including the economy, trade, and energy policy.
“It was an honor to attend the Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development. Every legislator who attends this program helps with the Council of State Governments’ mission to assist and advance the interests of state governments across the country,” Windhorst said. “The program was informative and helped me gain a wide variety of information, ideas, and points of view from legislators serving throughout the Midwest.”
The program is funded through grants from foundations, organizations and corporate sponsors, as well as in-kind contributions provided by The Council of State Governments’ Midwestern Office.
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. Founded in 1933, The Council of State Governments has national headquarters in Lexington, KY., and regional offices in Atlanta, Chicago (Lombard), New York City and Sacramento, California. The goal of the national, nonpartisan organization is to assist and advance state government.