Forty members from the sixth class of the Edgar Fellows Program will meet Aug. 6-10 in Champaign for an intensive training program designed to mold them into more effective leaders, according to a recent release from Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez (R-Leland Grove).
Gov. Jim Edgar created the program in 2012 to bring together young leaders from the government, NGO and private sectors and inspire strong collaborative leadership. The fellows work with Edgar and the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs to learn about and discuss issues ranging from economic development and healthcare to intergovernmental cooperation.
“We bring the Edgar Fellows together each year expecting they will discover they have much more in common with each other than they have differences,” Edgar said, according to the press release. “Each year, we see strangers get to know each other. People who have different viewpoints become friends. They learn about and develop new respect for each other, and they form bonds that we know will serve them and our state well as they advance their leadership careers.”
Edgar Fellows, who are selected to represent the state’s diversity, continue to work together after their training program, networking with previous Edgar Fellows classes at alumni events. The program is currently led by Illinois State Medical Society CEO Alexander Lerner.
