LANSING — State Representatives Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) and Christine Greig (D-Farmington Hills) are proud to announce that they will attend the Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development (BILLD) this summer. The Council of State Governments Midwest, which operates the program, named the two freshman legislators as fellows. They join a select group of lawmakers from around the region.
“Meeting fellow lawmakers from other states and learning about how they confront their own challenges gives us perspectives and ideas that we can bring back to Michigan,” Geiss said. “This fellowship is an honor, and I’m excited to meet colleagues from around the region and learn from one another.”
The program, now in its 21st year, will take place in Madison, Wis. In addition to seminars focusing on the development of core leadership skills, the agenda will include policy workshops on pressing issues facing state legislators, including state budgets. The fellows will also participate in sessions covering areas such as communicating with the media, speech making, and consensus building and negotiation.
“We’ve seen that the most effective policymaking happens when legislators from both parties can come to the table, set aside differences and make decisions that benefit all their constituents,” Greig said. “I look forward to honing the skills that lead to positive legislating, and bringing them back home to better serve the residents of my district and all across Michigan.”