Vargas Selected for Council of State Governments Fellowship
Nebraska State Sen. Tony Vargas will join 47 other state leaders from across the country in a leadership development program for state government officials.
The Council of State Governments named Vargas as one of its 2019 Henry Toll Fellows.
“I applied to be a CSG Henry Toll Fellow because it is necessary to continue to explore core values, learn techniques to manage conflict and compromise and build relationships with those who harbor a different perspective and ideology,” Vargas said. “I recognize how important it is to step away from my day-to-day life as a senator and public official to challenge myself and identify areas of personal growth to ensure that I can be the most effective advocate for my community.”
The Toll Fellowship, named for Council of State Governments founder Henry Wolcott Toll, has brought leaders to Lexington, Kentucky, for an intensive six-day boot camp for more than three decades. The 2019 program ran Aug. 23-27 and included a lineup of sessions designed to promote leadership through values in a nonpartisan approach.
“They’re trying to be very intentional about how people can build bridges, compromise and understand other peoples’ perspectives,” Vargas said. “I’m just really lucky to have been picked this year. I’m the only Nebraska representative for this year.”
The fellowship recognizes outstanding state leaders with a passion for public service, said CSG executive director and CEO David Adkins, who was a 1993 Toll Fellow when he was a Kansas state representative.
“The program is designed to expand leadership skills and empower the fellows to navigate complex public policy challenges more effectively,” Adkins said. “This year’s class of fellows will sharpen their ability to collaborate and communicate, to develop innovative solutions and advance the common good.”
Vargas said he hopes to bring back lessons about leadership and how other leaders have overcome obstacles. The program is less about networking and more about conflict resolution and values.
“When I applied, I said that I love the nonpartisan Legislature,” Vargas said. “One of the things that’s important for me is that it’s not nonpartisan only in structure, but it’s nonpartisan because the people who are there nurture and support the nonpartisan nature of the Legislature.”
Vargas said his parents were born and raised in the country of Peru. He said they fought hard to give him the American dream, and he got involved in politics to offer that help to other people.
“I love my community,” Vargas said. “I feel invested and committed to it, and the best way that I can give back is doing everything I can to try to reach what I think is a model elected official, which is always trying to be data-driven, listening to the constituents, trying to solve solutions – not create overly partisan problems.
“It is a lot easier to throw rocks at a house than it is to build one.”
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