State Rep. Hazlewood chosen to participate in national leadership development program for state government officials

Tennessee state Rep. Patsy Hazlewood meets with the Times Free Press editorial board at the newspaper's offices on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Tennessee state Rep. Patsy Hazlewood meets with the Times Free Press editorial board at the newspaper's offices on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn.

NASHVILLE - State Rep. Patsy Hazlewood, R-Signal Mountain, is among 48 state leaders from across the U.S. selected to participate in the Council of State Governments' 2018 Henry Toll Fellowship, a leadership development program for state government officials.

The Council of State Governments is the nation's only organization serving all three branches of state government. CSG is a region-based forum that fosters the exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials shape public policy.

Hazlewood said in a news release that although she has held multiple leadership positions in her business career as well as in civic and church organizations, she believes the program will help her "hone those skills and focus on the skills that are unique to government."

First elected to the Tennessee House in 2014, Hazlewood is a member of the House Finance Committee, the Business and Utilities Committee and the Ethics Committee.

The Toll Fellowship, named for CSG founder Henry Wolcott Toll, has convened a group of the nation's top officials for what the organization calls an intense six-day "intellectual boot camp." The program, which has been going on for more than 30 years, will be held Aug. 24-28 in Lexington, Ky.

"The CSG Toll Fellows are a remarkable group of state leaders," CSG Executive Director/CEO David Adkins said. "We have designed the fellowship to expand their leadership capacity with a strong focus on collaboration, communication and teamwork skills."

Adkins said "politics today are often characterized by polarization and gridlock. Toll Fellows learn how to overcome differences to serve the common good."

Toll Fellows alumni include Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, Delaware Gov. John Carney, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill and U.S. Attorney Doug Overbey in the Easter District of Tennessee. Overbey, a former state senator.

Hazlewood said she anticipates the program will help her be "a more effective legislator, which will enable me to better serve my district and my state.

"We have an unprecedented number of open seats in the Tennessee House this election cycle and a number of long-serving members will not be returning. Since many of them were in very responsible positions, those of us remaining will have to be prepared to step up."

Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow on Twitter @AndySher1.

Upcoming Events