State Rep. From Montgomery County Selected To Participate In Nationwide Fellowship

HARRISBURG — A state lawmaker from Montgomery County is one of only 48 individuals from across the country to be chosen to participate in the Council of State Governments 2022 Henry Toll Fellowship, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Democratic Caucus announced Tuesday.

State Rep. Liz Hanbidge, D-61, will join the other 48 members, who hail from all three branches of state government, to attend a five-day leadership boot camp at the Council's headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky.

Hanbidge is the only Pennsylvanian included in this year's contingent and she is the first Keystone State official to be selected for the fellowship since 2019, according to the House Democratic Caucus.

"I'm honored to have been selected as a Toll Fellow," Hanbidge said in a statement. "I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from and with other equally dedicated public servants from across the country. I am looking forward to the challenge and to expanding my skillset for the betterment of my constituents and commonwealth."

Hanbidge — whose Montgomery County legislative district includes the townships of Lower Gwynedd, Upper Gwynedd, Towamencin and Whitpain, and the Borough of North Wales — became the first Democrat to serve the 61st House District since its creation in 1969 when she was elected to the seat in November 2018.

She formerly worked as an attorney at a Montgomery County law practice serving families, businesses and nonprofit organizations, according to her state biography.

The Henry Toll Fellowship bills itself as the nation's premier leadership development program for state government officials, and the programs during the leadership sessions are designed to "stimulate personal assessment and growth while providing priceless networking and relationship-building opportunities," according to a news release.

Since the program began in the mid-1980s, the fellowship has graduated more than 1,300 government officials. Graduates include three sitting state supreme court justices, 10 sitting members of U.S. Congress, five sitting governors and more, according to the news release.

"While the CSG Henry Toll Fellows come from every region of our nation, from both political parties and all three branches of state government, they share one thing in common — they are all people of purpose with a passion for public service," CSG Executive Director and CEO David Adkins said in a statement. "Toll Fellows are selected based on their demonstrated commitment to solve problems, to work collaboratively to get things done, and their believe that state government can and must be a force for good."

More information about the Council of State Governments can be found here on its website.