COLUMBUS — State Rep. Riordan T. McClain, R-Upper Sandusky, was among 36 select lawmakers to complete a leadership training program that identifies and assists emerging state and provincial leaders in the Midwest.
Representative McClain met with fellow lawmakers from Ohio, 10 other Midwestern states and three Canadian provinces on Aug. 9-13, in Minneapolis, for The Council of State Governments’ 25th annual Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development (BILLD).
“The Bowhay Institute is one of the premier leadership training programs in the nations,” says Nebraska Sen. Sara Howard, 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.”
Representative McClain said, “I’m very appreciative to have been selected to participate and represent Ohio in the CSG BILLD program. The lessons learned and connections made will help me to better serve my community in the Ohio House.”
Legislators from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin and the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan were chosen to participate through a competitive, nonpartisan selection process.
BILLD was founded in 1995 to help new legislators meet the demands of federal devolution and, in many states, term limits. These two emerging as forces have highlighted the shortage of training available for legislators, a void that BILLD aims to fill.
