C E N T E R F O R T H E A D V A N C E M E N T O F L E A D E R S H I P S K I L L S

2 0 1 5Communication | Confl ict Resolution | Consensus Building | Cr it ical Decision Mak ing

T H E L E A D E R S H I P P R O G R A M O F T H E S O U T H E R N L E G I S L AT I V E C O N F E R E N C Ei n p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h Th e U n i ve r s i t y o f Ar k a n s a s Sy s te m | Wi nt h ro p R o c ke fe l l e r I n s t i t u te

O c to b e r 7 - 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

Why is CALS Important?Leadership development in the areas of communication, conflict resolution, consensus building and critical deci-sion making is more important now than ever, as current and emerging leaders seek practical training to better prepare them for advanced leadership responsibilities.

Increasing numbers of men and wom-en are seeking leadership opportunities, both in elected and appointed positions. At the same time, states are assuming greater responsibilities, in both the pol-icy and funding arenas, posing many challenges for officials at the state level.

The Southern Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments understands the need for state officials to learn from one another. Some of the more important regional efforts in re-cent years have succeeded, in large part, due to strong ties and coordinated ef-forts forged by leaders across state lines. The CALS program serves as a step toward fostering connections among new and mid-career officials from the Southern region.

Given the restricted fiscal environ-ment, state officials have fewer funds available and often less time to attend professional development programs, re-sulting in reduced opportunities to gain necessary and worthwhile experiences and contacts. SLC is able to remove this obstacle by providing full scholarships to all leaders selected to attend CALS. Scholarships cover the cost of tuition, travel, lodging and meals.

Ultimately, the mission of the CALS program is to effectively equip leaders with skills to manage obstacles, explore and develop interpersonal skills, build coalitions and improve conflict resolu-tion strategies in a benign and collegial environment.

THE CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEADERSHIP SKILLSThe Southern Office of The Coun-cil of State Governments (CSG) and the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC) have a long history of provid-ing leadership training opportunities to state elected officials, dating back to an exclusive relationship – 1987 to 2001 – with the prestigious Center for Creative Leadership, located in North Carolina. The Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills (CALS), inaugurat-ed in 2007, continues in that tradition of providing state elected officials the opportunity to attend one of the most comprehensive leadership programs in the nation.

HOW TO APPLYTo be considered for a scholarship to the Center for the Advancement of Lead-ership Skills, candidates must submit:

»An application form

»A cover letter expressing why the appli-cant should be considered as a candidate for the CALS program

»Two letters of recommendation from state government colleagues

»A resume or biographical summary

The brochure and application form can be downloaded at slcatlanta.org/CALS. The application deadline for the October 7-11, 2015 program is July 31, 2015.

ELIGIBILITYThe Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills seeks applications from state government officials from across the 15-state SLC region. The class comprises state legislators and state officials from either the execu-tive or judicial branch.

Representative Paul Lee Alabama

Senator Daniel Hall West Virginia

Senator Paul LeVota Missouri

Representative David Whitaker Arkansas

Representative Eric Johnson Texas

Senator Joe Bowen Kentucky

Magistrate Robert Turner Georgia

Judge Charles Auslander III Georgia

Senator Jeff Tarte North Carolina

Senator Derrick Simmons Mississippi

Judge Velma Tilley Georgia

Representative Raumesh Akbari Tennessee

Representative Gloria Frazier Georgia

Judge Simone Marstiller Florida

Representative Karen Bennett Georgia

Representative Virgil Fludd Georgia

Co m m u n i c at i o n | Co n f l i c t Re s o l u t i o n | Co n s e n s u s B u i l d i n g | C r i t i c a l D e c i s i o n M a ki n g

C A L S C L A S S O F 2 0 1 4S o u t h e r n Le g i s l at i ve Co n fe re n ce

Th e U n i ve r s i t y o f Ar k a n s a s Sy s te m Wi nt h ro p R o c ke fe l l e r I n s t i t u te

“CALS is a valuable professional experience for both established and emerging state government leaders. In addition to the opportunity to network with officials from across the Southern region, I learned how to leverage my leadership style, navigate conflict productively, and communicate my platform more effectively. ” - Representative Eric Johnson, Texas

“[CALS] was one of the top professional experiences of my life. I benefit daily in my professional and personal interactions from what I learned.” - Judge Charles Auslander III, Georgia

“[CALS] was very well organized and thorough, and the workshops were relevant

to the issues that leaders face each day. Surrounded by an

accomplished diverse group of people, I learned a lot about

myself as an emerging leader.” - Representative Raumesh

Akbari, Tennessee

“CALS was a valuable experience in large part due to the connections I made. I made and have maintained relationships with regional

leaders, and regularly use the skills from our communications and negotiations workshops in

my work as majority whip.”- Senator Daniel Hall, West

Virginia

Wednesday, October 7 Thursday, October 8 Friday, October 9 Saturday, October 10 Sunday, October 11

8:00 Breakfast BreakfastBreakfast and Departure for Little Rock

Breakfast and Departures for airport

8:30

The Four Cs of Group Dynamics

Legacy of Leadership9:009:30

10:00

Best Practices and Pitfalls of Social Media

Communication Essentials: Part I

10:3011:0011:30

Arrivals

12:0012:30

1:00Lunch Lunch Lunch

1:302:00

21st Century LeadershipUnderstanding Perceptions: Learning Your Leadership Identity

Communication Essentials: Part II

2:303:003:304:00 Travel to Winthrop

Rockefeller Institute4:305:00

Check in at Winthrop Rockefeller Institute Health, Exercise and Activity Break

Break5:306:00

Class Photo, Reception, Closing Dinner and Address

6:30Welcome Reception and Dinner

7:00Dinner Dinner: Leader-in-Chief:

A historical look at the presidency

7:308:008:30

Networking Suite Networking Suite

KEY9:00

Networking Suite Networking SuiteLEADERSHIP SKILLS

9:30 LEADERSHIP THEORY10:00 REFLECTION

2015 Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills

PRELIMINARY AGENDASouthern Legislative Conference | The University of Arkansas System | Winthrop Rockefeller Institute

A Legacy of Leadership Understanding Perceptions: Learning Your Leadership IdentityBest Practices and Pitfalls of Social Media

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APPLICANT INFORMATION

Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Title: ____________________________________________________________________________________________

First year in office: _________________________________________________________________________________

Branch of Government: q legislative q judicial q executive/state agency

Preferred mailing address: ___________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Home address (if different): __________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Capitol phone: ____________________________________________________________________________________

Home phone: ____________________________________________________________________________________

Business phone: __________________________________________________________________________________

Fax number: _____________________________________________________________________________________

E-mail address: ____________________________________________________________________________________

APPLICATION CHECKLIST: DUE BY JULY 31

To be considered for the Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills, candidates must submit:q Application formq Cover letter expressing why the applicant should be considered as a candidate for the CALS programq Two letters of recommendation from state government colleaguesq Resume or biographical summary

SUBMIT MATERIALS TO:

Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skillsattn: Lori MooreSouthern Legislative ConferenceP.O. Box 98129Atlanta, Georgia 30359

fax: 404/633-4896 | phone: 404/633-1866 | e-mail: lmoore@csg.org

Incomplete applications or applications received after July 31 will not be considered.

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University of Arkansas System Winthrop Rockefeller Institute