Congrats to the WLA Class of 2023! | What's in Store for '24? | Introducing the 2024 CSG West Officers

Montana Representative Marta Bertoglio at the 2023 Western Legislative Academy.

Western Legislative Academy

Congratulations to the WLA Class of 2023!

The Western Legislative Academy (WLA) Class of 2023 convened December 12-15 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where 48 state legislators completed three and a half days of intensive training designed to strengthen legislative leadership skills.

Class members engaged with faculty and each other to learn and employ strategies that each other to learn and employ strategies that support consensus building and negotiation, sharpen leadership techniques, effectively navigate conflict, and develop insights into the impact of personality styles, among others.

Wyoming Representative Karlee Provenza was selected by her peers as the 2023 WLA Class President. As class president, she will have an opportunity to facilitate a training session during the 2024 CSG West Annual Meeting, serve on the CSG West Executive Committee, and return to Colorado Springs to welcome next year’s WLA class.

CSG West extends profound appreciation to Pam Vacarro, a distinguished WLA faculty member retiring after a 24-year tenure. Pam stands as a pivotal figure in the program, having showcased her expertise in focus management since the inception of WLA in 2000.

This year’s WLA class was exceptionally engaged and CSG West looks forward to continued collaboration. Enjoy the photo highlights below and access additional session materials and photos here. Congratulations, Class of 2023!

Left to right: California Senator Catherine Blakespear and WLA faculty member Scott Raecker.

WLA class members engage in a group skills exercise.

Left to right: Nevada Assemblywomen Tracy Brown-May, Venicia Considine, and Erica Mosca, and Oregon Representative Dacia Grayber.

Left to right: Wyoming Representative Paul Tuss and Idaho Representative David Cannon.

Idaho Representative Marco Erickson.

Left to right Wyoming Representative Martha Lawley, New Mexico Representative Kristina Ortez, Wyoming Representative Karlee Provenza, Alaska Representative Andrew Gray, and Oregon Representative Ben Bowman.

Utah Representative Anthony Loubet.

Left to right: Hawaii Senator Brandon Elefante and California Assemblymember

Tri Ta.

Left to right: Hawaii Representative Lisa Marten and Colorado Representative Anthony Hartsook.

Oregon Representative Travis Nelson.

Left to right: Alaska Representative Rebecca Himschoot, Colorado Representative Meghan Lukens, and California Senator Catherine Blakespear.

Left to right: Washington Representative April Berg, Washington Senator Nikki Torres, and Washington Representative Kevin Waters.

Click above to read the 2024

CSG West Services Profile

What’s on Deck for 2024?

CSG West is pleased to announce the release of its 2024 Services Profile. Whether addressing concerns specific to the region, assessing international dynamics, or honing essential leadership and consensus-building skills, CSG West programs and services are designed to assist elected leaders throughout the West in becoming more effective in their work.

Learn about this year’s programs and events, including the Colorado River Forum in Arizona, Legislative Council on River Governance in Washington, Border Legislative Conference in New Mexico, and Western Legislative Academy in Colorado, among others. Be sure to save the date for the 2024 CSG West Annual Meeting, which will convene July 9-12 in Portland, Oregon!

Senator Bill Hansell

Oregon

CSG West Chair

Meet the 2024 CSG West Officers

We are excited to introduce the 2024 line-up of CSG West Officers who, in coordination with the Executive Committee and CSG West Director, will lead the organization's efforts this year.

Oregon Senator Bill Hansell is the new chair of CSG West. He, along with the Oregon Host Committee, will host this year’s CSG West Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon July 9-12. Wyoming Representative Mike Yin has rotated to the position of chair-elect after serving as vice chair in 2023.

We extend a warm welcome to the new vice chair and CSG Toll Fellow, Utah Senator Todd Weiler. And, California Assemblymember Mike Gipson rotates to the role of immediate past chair, and will continue to represent the Western region as he takes on the role of vice chair of CSG National.

We are excited about the great leaders serving as CSG West officers and look forward to their engagement and leadership. To learn more about the 2024 CSG West Officers, we invite you to scroll through their respective bios.

Representative Mike Yin

Wyoming

Chair-Elect

Senator Todd Weiler

Utah

Vice Chair

Assemblymember Mike Gipson

California

Immediate Past Chair

Join the Discussion: CSG West 2024 Policy Committees

CSG West policy committees and working groups provide a structured forum for exchanging ideas and collaborative learning on key regional topics. Through the coordination of the committee co-chairs, each committee convenes members and topic experts for conversations addressing select policy issues and identify collaborative solutions. Committees convene during the CSG West Annual Meeting and other times throughout the year.

Interested in joining a policy committee? Members are appointed by their legislative leadership. Contact westpolicy@csg.org for more information.

THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS WEST www.csgwest.org

CSG West is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization serving western state legislatures. All active legislators are considered members of our organization and included in organizational correspondence regarding news and events. While we hope you find this information of use, we also understand the need for a tidy inbox. If you do not wish to receive email updates from us, please unsubscribe below to be removed from our email list.