State Representative Amy Elik (R-Fosterburg) was selected to participate in the 2022 Emerging Legislative Leaders Program. The bipartisan program, which is sponsored by the State Legislative Leaders Foundation (SLLF), was held last week at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
“I’m pleased I had the opportunity to attend this highly impactful leadership program,” said Elik. “We explored the culture of contempt that exists in American politics today, the importance of restoring ethical leadership in government, and delved into what our founding fathers most feared by the effect of factionalism on our democracy. Joining fellow legislators from states across the country, both Republicans and Democrats, allowed for honest and respectful conversations led by the excellent faculty at the University of Virginia.”
The program is held every year on the campus of the University of Virginia for a select group of state legislators nominated by the Speaker of the House, President of the Senate or Minority Leader from their respective states. The Leaders are asked to nominate one or more members who, by their actions, have demonstrated the leadership qualities of integrity, compassion, intelligence, vision, and common sense.
The goal of the program is to inspire these men and women to continue careers in public service. Class discussions examined qualities and characteristics of leadership, including ethical leadership, the art of compromise and coalition building, and the philosophical underpinnings of representative democracy. The discussions were conducted by a team of distinguished Darden School of Business professors, including Jared D. Harris, Ph.D. and Mary Margaret Frank, Ph.D. Dr. Thomas Little, Curriculum Director of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation, also joined the Darden faculty.
Representative Elik was one of only fifty state legislators chosen from a nationwide pool of nearly 200 nominees.
As Stephen G. Lakis, President of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation, has 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.”
For additional information about the Emerging Legislative Leaders Program and SLLF, visit www.sllf.org.