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CLASS OF 2009
The Southern Office of The Council of State Governments and the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC) have a long history of providing leadership training opportunities to state elected officials.  From 1987 to 2001, the Southern Office maintained an exclusive relationship with the prestigious Center for Creative Leadership, located in North Carolina, providing state elected officials the opportunity to attend one of the most comprehensive leadership programs in the nation.

Leadership Program
of the
Southern Office of The Council of State Governments /
Southern Legislative Conference

In recent years, a number of federal initiatives have placed significant new demands on states.  The shifting federal-state relationship has forced states to assume greater responsibilities, in both the policy and funding arenas. Additionally, term-limited state officials are working to meet the needs of their constituents in difficult fiscal times and against the clock.

It was the implementation of term limits in five of the 15-member states, and recognition of the changing political landscape in the South, that moved the Executive Committee of SLC to approve the establishment of the Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills (CALS).

CALS embodies the Southern Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments’ mission of championing excellence in state government and providing non-partisan forums for state officials who might rarely cross paths to share ideas. The objective of the program is to enhance the participants’ leadership knowledge through sessions geared to improve competencies in communication, conflict resolution, consensus building and critical decision-making.

Additionally, CALS prepares emerging and mid-career legislative, executive and judicial branch state leaders for their roles in state government. Particularly compelling is the need for leadership development in the five term-limited state legislatures in the Southern region.

Annually, applications are accepted from 10 of the 15 states in the region.  The state rotation guarantees a manageable class size and includes at least three of the region’s five term-limited legislatures.  Scholarships, which cover the cost of tuition, travel, lodging and meals, are awarded to 25 state leaders.

Ultimately, the Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills helps provide the public with highly skilled, educated, and confident state leaders equipped to be effective decision makers. Meeting state officials from around the region, sharing insights and ideas, and networking are key components of the program.  For more information, please contact Ms. Lori Jones-Rucker at the Southern Legislative Conference.


State Participation Rotation
for the Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills
2010 CALS

University of Arkansas System
2011 CALS

Coastal Carolina University
2012 CALS

Georgia State University
Alabama
South Carolina
* Louisiana *
* Arkansas *
Tennessee
Mississippi
* Florida *
Texas
* Missouri *
Georgia
Virginia
North Carolina
Kentucky
West Virginia
* Oklahoma *
* Louisiana *
Alabama
South Carolina
Mississippi
* Arkansas *
Tennessee
* Missouri *
* Florida *
Texas
North Carolina
Georgia
Virginia
* Oklahoma *
Kentucky
West Virginia
* Term-limited legislatures *


CALS Class Rosters