Category: South

CSG South has released its 2023 Staff Academy for Governmental Excellence (SAGE) Class!

The nation’s only regionally focused leadership development program for state government staff, SAGE is rooted in CSG South’s proud legacy of providing exemplary leadership training to elected and appointed state officials. 

In addition to developing their personal and professional leadership skills, participants can build a network of peers across the Southern region. By shaping staff leaders, SAGE ultimately aims to provide the public with more effective state governments. 

Say Hello to the 2023 SAGE Class!

• Jackie Bell, Support Staff Supervisor – MS
• Brandon Black, Legislative Assistant – TN
• Dylan Bradley, Budget Analyst – TN
• Emily Byrne, Policy Analyst – OK
• Daniel Carter, Legislative Assistant – KY
• Lauren Dart, Strategic Communications Manager – VA
• Daris Davis, Chief of Staff – MO
• Sherrie Davis, Veterans Benefits Field Representative – KY
• Abby Day, Senior Budget and Policy Analysis – GA
• Jimmy Entrekin, General Counsel – AL
• Glenn Fitzgerald, Director – MO
• Tonya Garman Executive Coordinator – OK
• Cassie Howell, Legislative Attorney – AR
• Annelyse Iglesias, Special Assistant – NC
• Martha Jarrow, Director of Member Services – AR
• Luke Kiszla, Chief of Staff – AL
• Ashlee Lester, Executive Assistant – OK
• Riley McCullough, Research Analyst – SC
• Jill Mooney, Research Manager – WV
• Carly Nelson, Legislative Assistant – TN
• Katie Phillips, Director of Governmental Affairs – SC
• Shannon Riley, Director of Administration – WV
• Hawley Robertson, Attorney/Policy Advisor – MS
• Ashari Robinson, Budget Analyst – LA
• Denese Sampson, Director of Constituent Services – GA
• Erin Wilson, Director of Communications – NC

Click here to learn more about SAGE

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The sun sets earlier, soup ingredients are being purchased, and temperatures are cooling, but here at CSG South, we are just getting heated up!  

It has been a month jampacked with traveling and preparation for our team, and we are thrilled to roll out all the programming, publications, and leadership development planned for the remainder of the year.  

Our first Policy Masterclass, Leveraging Learning Loss: A Public Policy Approach, was hosted in Atlanta this week. Attendees learned from industry experts, toured the Capitol, and met with State Superintendent Richard Woods. Our next Policy Masterclass, The Opioid Crisis: Understanding and Addressing the Public Health Emergency, will occur in Kansas City, Missouri next month.  Our final Policy Masterclass, All of the Above: Ensuring Energy Independence, explores how states seek to expand their portfolios with an “all of the above” energy strategy, emphasizing West Virginia’s energy strategy – the 5th largest state for energy production. 

We are excited to welcome and congratulate the Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills (CALS) class of 2023 after an overwhelming and competitive response. The leadership development doesn’t end there, with our Staff Academy for Governmental Excellence (SAGE). We can’t wait to meet both CALS and SAGE classes this fall! To learn more about our leadership development programs, click here.  

As the busy time of fall is about to kick off, you can always be connected to us through this newsletter, our CSG South website, and social media for updates.

We hope you continue to utilize our team as an extension of your office and know that we are always here to assist you.  

All the best,
Lindsey G.

Click here to read Southern Pulse- September 2023

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What percentage of each CSG South state is covered by water?

Click here to find out the answer

The post Question of the Month, September appeared first on CSG South.

The Southern Legislative Conference’s State Transformation in Action Recognition (STAR) award recognizes impactful, creative, effective, and transferable state government solutions. Innovative program submissions are accepted from various state agencies, departments, and institutions operating within the executive, legislative, and judicial governmental branches.

The 2023 STAR Award Recipient is The Virginia Department of Corrections’ Voice Verification Biometrics Unit. To read more about the award winner click below.

VADOC Wins Fourth STAR Award at Southern Legislative Conference — Virginia Department of Corrections

Click here to read more about our STAR Award

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CSG South has released its 2023 Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills (CALS) Class.

CALS is for current elected or appointed members of state legislatures and judicial and executive branches. The five-day workshop takes selected CALS scholars through activities and instruction focusing on the program’s four central components—communication, conflict resolution, consensus building, and critical decision-making.

Say Hello to the 2023 CALS Class!

• Representative Solomon Adesanya, Georgia
• Representative Jennifer Balkcom, North Carolina
• Representative Heather Bauer, South Carolina
• Delegate Wayne Clark, West Virginia
• Representative Elaine Davis, Tennessee
• Senator Vince Deeds, West Virginia
• Delegate Lori Dittman, West Virginia
• Representative Jonathan Dixon, Kentucky
• Senator Jeremy England, Mississippi
• Representative Aimee Freeman, Louisiana
• Representative Lydia Glaize, Georgia
• Representative John Hodgson, Kentucky
• Senator Keith Kelley, Alabama
• Senator Michael Lazzara, North Carolina
• Representative James Lomax, Alabama
• Representative Rey Martinez, Georgia
• Representative Kendra Moore, Arkansas
• Representative Kimberly New, Georgia
• General Counsel Taylor Nichols, Alabama
• Representative Marvin Pendarvis, South Carolina
• Representative Tim Reeder, North Carolina
• Representative Suzanne Schreiber, Oklahoma
• Senator Ally Seifried, Oklahoma
• Representative Mark Tedford, Oklahoma
• Senator Kristen Thompson, Oklahoma
• Representative Matthew Willard, Louisiana
• Representative Travis Wilson, Missouri
• Senator Glen Womack, Louisiana

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The start of fall is on the horizon: the cheers of college football, the smells of the pumpkin patch, and lots of programming here at CSG South! 

Our fall programming begins in September with the Legislative Service Agency (LSA) Directors Group’s fall retreat in Northwest Arkansas. This group spearheads our wonderfully crafted government staff tracks at SLC, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for The Greenbrier in 2024. In October and November, our two flagship leadership development programs, the Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills (CALS) and the Staff Academy for Government Excellence (SAGE), will convene. These programs offer regionally focused networking, unique training sessions for elected and appointed officials (CALS) and staffers (SAGE), and an overall fantastic time. Our staff will contact selected applicants for these programs in the coming days and weeks, as the deadlines have passed to apply for the CALS and SAGE classes 2023. Good luck to all who applied! 

Our program offerings also continue in full force throughout the fall months with three Policy Masterclasses: Leveraging Learning Loss: A Public Policy Approach (September 26-28), The Opioid Crisis: Understanding and Addressing the Public Health Emergency (October 10-12), and All of the Above: Ensuring Energy Independence (October 24-26). Each Masterclass is a unique and regionally driven experience that brings in expert speakers on different policy areas and formulates an open forum for discussion between attendees. We don’t let the learning stop there – each Masterclass also holds immersive site visits – giving attendees a full hands-on experience. Space is limited, so if you wish to attend, click here to submit your interest form.  

As we look forward to new beginnings this fall, we also want to look back and celebrate our accomplishments at the 2023 Southern Legislative Conference in Charleston, SC. Our Summary Report has been released, and you can read it below. Thank you again to our attendees, staffers, and volunteers who executed the largest SLC in history!  

We hope you continue to keep us in your corner and remember that our staff is here for you and anything you need. 

All the best,
Lindsey G.

Click here to read Southern Pulse- August 2023

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What are the official state foods across the CSG South region?

Click here to find out the answer

The post Question of the Month, August appeared first on CSG South.

West Virginia Senate President Craig Blair Named Chair of Council of State Governments Southern Office | The Panhandle News Network | WEPM & WCST

West Virginia Senate president named CSG South chair | State Journal News | wvnews.com

WV Senate President Craig Blair elected chair of the Council of State Governments – Southern Office – West Virginia Press Association (wvpress.org)

Blair elected chair of the Council of State Governments – Southern Office | Journal-news | journal-news.net

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Speaker Ledbetter chair-elect of the Council of State Governments Southern Office (alreporter.com)

Speaker Ledbetter chair-elect of the Council of State Governments Southern Office | Alabama Politics (spotonalabama.com)

Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter named chair-elect of the Council of State Governments Southern Office (altoday.com)

House Speaker Ledbetter selected as chair-elect of the Council of State Governments Southern Office (1819news.com)

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That’s a wrap on SLC 2023! 

What a historic and amazing Southern Legislative Conference that was! Our final numbers have come in; more than 2,000 legislators, families, and affiliates came together in Charleston, South Carolina, for the largest SLC in history. We can’t express how thankful we are for the continuous support from our host state as well as the small army of volunteers and legislative staffers who helped make this conference wonderful! Thank you, South Carolina!  

Our office is buzzing and excited for the upcoming months and events ahead. At CSG South, we are consistently upholding the standard of outstanding professional development, insightful policy masterclasses, and powerful publications that bring hours of research into your hands. In the months to come, we have three Policy Masterclasses as well as our two signature leadership development programs – the Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills (CALS) and its staffer parallel, the Staff Academy for Governmental Excellence (SAGE). Additionally, our policy team is working on creating new publications with regionally focused data and analysis to provide you and your office with knowledge on key matters.  

We hope that you have enjoyed your summer, and we can’t wait to see all the great work you continue to do in your communities.  

All the best,
Lindsey G.

Click here to read Southern Pulse- July 2023

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