News

Emerging leaders program taps Edwards

By Bill Moss, Published: April 30, 2019

Sen. Chuck Edwards was selected for the 2019 Class of Emerging Legislative Leaders Program through the State Legislative Leaders Foundation after his nomination by Senate President Pro-Tempore Phil Berger.

The Emerging Legislative Leaders Program is designed specifically for the next generation of leaders who are likely to be at the helm of tomorrow’s legislatures. Each year SLLF receives over 200 nominations for 50 seats. To be selected, a first or second term legislator must be nominated by their House Speaker, Senate President, or House or Senate Minority Leader. An independent selection committee then chooses the finalists.
Up to 50 of the best and brightest state legislators from across the nation take part in 4 days of challenging classroom discussions, led by a team of professors at the Darden School of Business on the campus of the University of Virginia. The annual program convenes every July.
“Senator Edwards brings valuable small business expertise to the North Carolina Senate, and he is a thought leader on many of the issues we address each session," Berger said. "It’s not surprising that he will be recognized with this honor, and I trust he’ll represent our great state with the same degree of competence and insight with which he represents his district in the legislature.”
In each state legislature, every House Speaker, Senate President, and House and Senate Minority Leader is invited to nominate a first- or second-term legislator to apply to this program.
“It is a privilege and an honor to be selected as a member of an exemplary class of future legislative leaders,” said Edwards, a Republican from Hendersonville. “This is a tremendous opportunity to work collaboratively with colleagues from across the nation and political spectrum on issues that impact the lives of folks we represent. I am eager to apply the additional skills and knowledge I expect to gain from this experience to just that.”
The State Legislative Leaders Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, independent national organization committed to providing specialized educational and enrichment programs for the leaders of our nation’s state legislatures – speakers of the house, senate presidents, majority leaders, minority leaders, and pro- tempores. It is the only legislative organization dedicated solely to serving all state legislative leaders. In its 40+ years, the SLLF has distinguished itself as the leading legislative leadership organization in the nation.