Legislators from across the country gather for a group photo during the Emerging Legislative Leaders Program at the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, fostering leadership and collaboration.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 23, 2024 — State Rep. Kristian Grant (D-Grand Rapids) recently completed the 2024 Emerging Legislative Leaders Program, sponsored by the State Legislative Leaders Foundation and held at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.
This prestigious program is held every year for a select group of state legislators who have been nominated by the Speaker of the House, president of the Senate or minority leader from their state. Leaders are asked to nominate one or more members who, through their actions, have demonstrated qualities associated with leadership — integrity, compassion, intelligence, vision and common sense.
“It was such an honor to be chosen to participate in the 2024 Emerging Legislative Leaders Program, and I want to thank Speaker Tate for his confidence in my leadership,” Grant said. “This experience has been incredibly enriching, providing me with new perspectives and tools to better serve the people of Michigan. The opportunity to engage with my peers from across the nation and across the aisle while learning from esteemed faculty has deepened my understanding of good leadership, policy, compromise and coalition building. I am excited to bring these insights back to my work in the Michigan Legislature.”
The goal of this program is to inspire these men and women to continue careers in public service. Class discussions examine qualities and characteristics of leadership such as ethical leadership, the art of compromise and coalition building, and the philosophical underpinnings of representative democracy. The discussions are led by a team of distinguished Darden School of Business professors, including Jared D. Harris, Ph.D. and Gregory Fairchild, Ph.D. Dr. Thomas Little, curriculum director of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation, will join the Darden faculty.
Grant is one of only 50 state legislators chosen from a nationwide pool of nearly 200 outstanding nominees.
As Stephen G. Lakis, president of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation, noted, “These legislators represent the best in our legislative institutions and are destined for future leadership roles in their state. Spending time with these up-and-coming leaders renews my confidence in our country’s great democratic experiment.”
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