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NEWS “Serving Western Legislatures” from the Western Legislative Academy Western Legislative Academy 2005 Academy Attracts Record Number of Applicants record number of Western legislators applied for The list of occupations and positions found in the Class Aa limited number of places at the 2005 Western of 2005 included pilots, lawyers, educators, business Legislative Academy. WLA is the premier training program owners, labor union members, financial advisors and offered by the community activists. The Council of State class boasted former Governments- police officers, a film WEST (CSG- producer, a firefighter, WEST) for newer a microbrewery owner, lawmakers. a landscape designer, The Academy a marathon runner, a convened tribal leader, a research November 15-18, scientist and a Harley 2005 in Colorado Davidson-riding oil Springs, Colorado. trader, to name a few. Legislative leaders What these legislators from the 13 had in common was Western states the desire to improve made more than personal legislative 160 suggestions Nevada Asmbr. Moises Denis (left) and Hawaii Rep. Pono Chong found WLA skills and strengthen about potential training fun as well as hard work. legislative institutions. applicants, and eventually more than 90 lawmakers applied A faculty of distinguished academics, corporate trainers, for positions at the Academy. Because the maximum class U.S. Air Force instructors and veteran legislative leaders size is 39, many highly qualified legislators could not be worked with lawmakers on such skills as communications, accommodated. Lawmakers still in their first four years of negotiations, ethics, team building, time management and service are encouraged to apply for the 2006 WLA. legislative effectiveness. The WLA Class of 2005 looked like a microcosm of the Since its inception in 2000, the Western Legislative West. Women and men, Republicans and Democrats, Academy has graduated 224 lawmakers. Many of these urban and rural lawmakers spent three and a half days WLA alumni have gone on to leadership positions in state together mastering some of the key “tools of the legislative legislatures and in the executive branch. trade.” Winter 2006 The 2006 Western Legislative Academy takes place June 12-15, and the deadline to apply is March 1, 2006. 2005 ClassPresident............................2 Click on the WLA link at www.csgwest.org to download Class of 2005........................................3 an application. For more information, call CSG-WEST Sponsors...............................................3 at (916) 553-4423. Class of 2005 “Students”..................4-5 Faculty..............................................6-7 Alumni..................................................8 Profile of the 2005 WLA Class President: Nevada Assembly Member Heidi Gansert he’s a mother, wife, athlete, engineer and medical When asked if the legislature was like she expected it to Spractice consultant. And in her “spare” time, she’s be when she ran for office, Gansert says she found it to be also a freshman in the Nevada Legislature. That’s the much less contentious and less polarized than she antici- short story on the newest Western Legislative Acad- pated. If there’s one thing she learned the first year, it was emy (WLA) class the importance of president, Nevada reaching across the Assembly Member political aisle to build Heidi Gansert. consensus. “I talk to everyone, because At the close of everyone’s opinion is the 2005 West- valuable.” Gansert ern Legislative also learned that Academy, class because Nevada is members elected a small state, one Gansert to repre- person can have a sent all 224 WLA significant impact. alumni on the CSG-WEST Ex- Looking back at the ecutive Commit- training she received tee. Gansert also at the 2005 Western serves on CSG- Legislative Academy, WEST’s governing Nevada Asmbr. Heidi Gansert works on a ropes problem at the U.S. Air Force Gansert says that board by virtue of Academy. Gansert’s classmates elected her WLA 2005 class president. probably the most an appointment valuable take-home from Nevada legislative leadership. lesson was the importance of time management. “I’m trying to work on my planning skills,” she says. Gansert says her many roles outside the legislature actually helped prepare her to juggle the multitude of When she’s not legislating or working or parenting, Gan- duties she faces as a lawmaker. For example, in her job sert’s favorite activities are coaching her children’s volleyball as a medical practice consultant (her husband serves and basketball teams and biking with her husband. in an ER practice group), Gansert negotiated contracts with hospitals. That experience, she says, helped her Other lawmakers who have served as Western Legisla- become a better listener. tive Academy presidents are Nevada Senator Barbara Cegavske, Alaska Representative Lesil McGuire, Montana As an athlete who has participated in numerous tri- Representative Jim Keane, Nevada Assembly Member athlons and marathons, Gansert finds that keeping in Kelvin Atkinson and New Mexico Representative Jose shape gives her greater endurance for the long haul of Campos. the legislative session. And her engineering background gives her a comfort with numbers that comes in handy when she sits on the Ways and Means committee. Special appreciation is extended to the El Pomar Foundation for its continuing financial support of the Western Legislative Academy. El Pomar also provides meeting management services and the use of the historic Penrose House in Colorado Springs as the WLA campus. El Pomar fellows participate as analysts in charge of the WLA evaluation process. CSG-WEST is grateful for the continuing partnership with the El Pomar Foundation in enhancing the leadership capacity of Western state legislatures. 2 CSG-WEST Western Legislative Academy Winter 2006 WLA Class of 2005 Photo taken by Lynn Boutte Photo taken by Lynn Members of the Western Legislative Academy Class of 2005 gathered in Colorado Springs November 15-18 for intense professional development training. Back row (left to right) Gerald Ortiz y Pino (NM Sen), Andy Olson (OR Rep), Mike Kelly (AK Rep), Kurt Olson (AK Rep), Clifford Bayer (ID Rep), Jim Riesberg (CO Rep), Tim Cosgrove (UT Rep), Derek Kilmer (WA Rep), Thomas Lubnau II (WY Rep), Charlie Huggins (AK Sen) 3rd Row (left to right) John Rusche (ID Rep), Shan S. Tsutsui (HI Sen), Larry Galizio (OR Rep), Dennis Himmelberger (MT Rep), Kyle Yamashita (HI Rep), Tim Corder (ID Sen), Charles Townsend (WY Sen), Bob Hasegawa (WA Rep), Moises Denis (NV Assm), Albert Hale (AZ Sen) 2nd Row (left to right) Lane Larson (MT Sen), Betty Komp (OR Rep), Pono Chong (HI Rep), Kermit Brown (WY Rep), David Bradley (AZ Rep), Russ Jones (AZ Rep), Elsie Arntzen (MT Rep) 1st Row (left to right) Debbie Benefield (CO Rep), Kathy McCoy (NM Rep), Lorraine Quarberg (WY Rep), Lorie Fowlke (UT Rep), Ronda Rudd Menlove (UT Rep), Joni Gutierrez (NM Rep), Judy Clibborn (WA Rep), Heidi Gansert (NV Asmbr) Not Pictured: Barbara Bailey (WA Rep), Marilyn Kirkpatrick (NV Asmbr), John Jay Lee (NV Sen) SPECIAL THANKS TO 2005 WLA SPONSORS CSG-WEST gratefully acknowledges the significant support provided to the Western Legislative Academy! DIAMOND SPONSOR BRONZE SPONSORS CONTRIBUTORS El Pomar Foundation Altria Corporate Services Coors Brewing Company AT&T Eastman Kodak Company SILVER SPONSORS Electronic Data Systems Grande River Vineyards & Winery GlaxoSmithKline Intermountain Rural Electric Assoc. Bayer Healthcare Healthnet RJReynolds MedImmune International Gaming Technology sanofi-aventis Johnson & Johnson The Procter & Gamble Company Pfizer Inc. Wyeth The 2006 Western Legislative Academy will convene June 12-15. For information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Cheryl Lee Duvauchelle at (415) 330-0312 or [email protected]. Winter 2006 CSG-WEST Western Legislative Academy 3 Class of 2005 Legislative “Students” 4 CSG-WEST Western Legislative Academy Winter 2006 Class of 2005 Legislative “Students” Winter 2006 CSG-WEST Western Legislative Academy 5 Western Legislative Eagleton Institute of Politics Professor Alan Rosenthal delivered a keynote address on “What Makes a Good Legislature?” New Mexico Representative Jose Campos, 2004 WLA Class President, inspired and wel- comed incoming WLA students. Renowned speech and drama coach Arch Lust- berg worked with lawmakers to develop unforget- table communication techniques. Aaron Gould Sheinin, the national presi- dent of Capitolbeat (state capitol report- ers and editors), gave lawmakers tips on working with journalists. Pam Vaccaro, president of Designs on Time, gave legislators practical meth- Corporate trainer Jim Hennig taught FranklinCovey trainer Leigh Ste- ods to prioritize, organize and balance powerful lessons in principled vens taught lawmakers important professional and personal lives. negotiations. lessons from the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” 6 CSG-WEST Western Legislative Academy Winter 2006 Academy Faculty WLA 2005 graduation closed with an improvisational Boise State University Professor Gary Moncrief comedy team depicting scenes from the life of a legislator. reviewed 50 years of change in American state LaughingStock Comedy Company actors from left to right legislatures. are Lesley Abrams, Dean Steeves and Brendan Murphy. CSG-WEST’s 2005 Chair, Oregon Senate Using real-life case studies, ethicist Majority Leader Kate Brown, presided over the Jack Marshall taught the “Secrets of Academy using large quantities of humor and Virtuous Lawmakers.” energy to keep legislative “students”