The Toll Fellowship is a leadership development program, named for the founder of CSG, Henry Walcott Toll. Each year, the program selects 48 officials from all three branches of government, and brings them to Lexington, KY, for what the program calls an “intellectual boot camp.”

Over the course of the six-day, five-night program, fellows will attend sessions that are designed to stimulate personal assessment and growth, as well as provide networking opportunities. Previous years have included sessions on leadership personality assessment, media training, adaptive leadership, and other topics. Abney stated in a press release that these sessions are important because legislators must know their strengths and weaknesses.

“My state is in the middle of rebuilding after the last recession,” he said. “Other legislators have survived similar environments and are doing well for their district and state. I simply want to learn from successful legislators. I believe that the more time I spend learning the craft of being an effective legislator, the less precious time I will spend on ineffective measures and policies.”

The 2015 class that Abney will join represents 33 states and Puerto Rico. There are 35 members from the legislative branch, four from the judiciary, and nine from the executive. Those who are interested in the program must go through an application process, which is reviewed by a nine-member committee of state leaders.

“Public service is vital in a free and democratic society,” Abney said. “I believe that public servants should strive to get better at their craft every day. The Henry Toll Fellowship Program provides that opportunity.”

Abney will attend the program from Aug. 28-Sept. 2.

“The Toll Fellowship remains the oldest and most prestigious of all leadership development programs for elected officials,” CSG executive director and CEO David Adkins said. “Its impact is profound and the quality is renowned. As a Toll Fellow from 1993, I know first hand the impact the program has on elected officials.”