Toll Fellows

Toll Fellows Alumni Shine at CSG Annual Conference

Toll Fellows alumni figured prominently as CSG welcomed approximately 600 participants to its Annual Conference in La Quinta, Calif.  The meeting was 1999 Toll Fellow Idaho Sen. Bart Davis' final meeting as the national chair.  He was recognized at an evening reception along with his wife, Marion.

Thank you to Toll Fellow Alums Minnesota Rep. Laura Brod (2006) and Nevada Assemblyman Marcus Conklin (2008) for providing an excellent panel discussion at the 2009 CSG Annual Conference in La Quinta.  The two covered the ins and outs of utilizing new media tools such as Facebook and Twitter to better connect with your constituency and run a tech savvy campaign.  The panel discussion was followed by a hands-on workshop. Both sessions, sponsored by the Toll Fellowship Program, were among the best attended breakout sessions of the meeting.Toll Fellows sponsored sessions will soon become a regular fixture of CSG's national meetings as part of ongoing efforts to provide premiere leadership development training throughout the year.

In addition to the New Media Panel discussion, Alabama Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb, a 2004 Toll Fellow, participated in a panel discussion focused on the future of fair and impartial state courts.  She was joined by three fellow state chief justices for the morning plenary session that served to highlight CSG's unique ability to address the demands and challenges of all three branches of government.

Toll Fellows participated in a variety of other breakout sessions and policy business meetings.  2009 Toll Kelley Goes, West Virginia Secretary of Commerce, discussed alternatives to oil.  Kansas Rep. Tom Sloan (2003) participated in a look at state partnerships with military bases to improve the environment.  Ohio Sen. Kevin Coughlin (2005) joined a panel exploring the implications of H1N1 on the states.

Join us for another great agenda and more Toll Fellows sponsored sessions at the 2010 CSG Spring Conference in New York City, May 20-23.

Toll Fellows Program to sponsor New Media Workshops in La Quinta

For the first time, the Toll Fellows Program will sponsor two sessions at the CSG Annual Conference this November in La Quinta, Calif. The sessions will focus on new media tools and will combine panel discussion with hands-on training to help bring the use of technology in constituent relations and campaign management to life.  Toll Fellows is sponsoring the sessions - both on Saturday, Nov. 14 - as a part of an expanded effort to provide leadership development training beyond the program itself.

Here is a look at the sessions:

New Media Panel Discussion - Saturday, Nov. 14 - 9:30 a.m.

The 2008 election of Barack Obama left no doubt that new media such as blogs, Facebook and You Tube can swing elections.  As we head into an important midterm and state election cycle, join Toll Fellows Alum David Adkins as he moderates a panel discussion of how to successfully employ new media tools to improve constituent relations and bolster  campaigns. Minnesota Rep. Laura Brod, Nevada Assemblyman Marcus Conklin and Oregon Rep. Sara Gelser will share their experiences using blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other media devices to keep their constituents informed and to run tech savvy campaigns. The group will also discuss the ethical and public relations considerations of using such public forums.

New Media Workshop - Saturday, Nov. 14 - 11:00 a.m.

Designed as the hands-on complement to the morning's new media panel discussion, this session will take you out of the classroom and into the lab.  Come by the Expo Hall's Internet cafe and learn first-hand how to set-up a Facebook page or how to Tweet from the rest of the Annual Conference sessions.  CSG staff and Toll Fellows alumni will be on hand to provide technical assistance and walk you through the process of joining the media age. The session will be run in 10 minute tutorials.  Advance registration available for Toll alumni - email Krista for your slot today! Registration will open for the general public at the meeting registration desk on Thursday, Nov. 12.

Other Annual Conference agenda highlights will include keynotes by Spencer Wells of National Geographic's Genographic Project, Ben Self of Blue State Digital, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham.  In addition, a panel of chief justices, including Toll Fellows' own Sue Bell Cobb of Alabama, will be addressing the future of fair and impartial courts in a panel discussion on Friday, Nov. 13.  Here's the full meeting agenda. You can also click the link at right.

Finally, stay up to date with the latest Annual Conference news before and during the meeting by follow CSG Annual09 on Twitter!