(Lombard, Ill.) May 27, 2025 — State Representative Russell Goodwin of Milwaukee was among 38 select lawmakers chosen to participate in a training program that annually identifies and assists promising state leaders in the Midwest.
Representative Goodwin will meet with fellow lawmakers from Wisconsin and 10 other Midwestern states and three Canadian provinces on August 22-26 in Madison, Wis., for The Council of State Governments’ 30th annual Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development (BILLD).
“The Bowhay Institute is one of the premier leadership training programs in the nation,” says Iowa Sen. Amy Sinclair, 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 key leadership positions in their state.”
Since 1995, more than 1,000 lawmakers have graduated from the Bowhay Institute. State legislators from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin are chosen to participate through a competitive, nonpartisan selection process. Members of the Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan legislative assemblies are selected by their caucuses to take part in the program.
BILLD was founded in 1995 to help new legislators meet the demands of increased policy responsibility being shifted to the states and, in many states, term limits and high legislative turnover. These two emerging forces highlight the shortage of training available for legislators — a void that BILLD aims to fill.
A program of The Council of State Governments’ Midwestern Office, the 2025 BILLD program will include courses and seminars conducted by policy experts, Midwestern legislative leaders, and professional development trainers. In addition to curriculum designed to develop leadership skills, the program analyzes a variety of public policy issues.
The Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development is named in honor of the late James Bowhay, longtime director of The Council of State Governments’ Midwestern Office. The program is funded through grants from foundations and corporate sponsors and an in-kind contribution from The Council of State Governments’ Midwestern Office.
Founded in 1933, The Council of State Governments has national headquarters in Lexington, Ky., and regional offices in Atlanta, Chicago (Lombard, Ill.), New York City, and Sacramento. The goal of the national, nonpartisan organization is to assist and advance state government by providing research assistance, professional development and educational opportunities, interstate consulting services, and public policy trends analysis.
