Rep. Brown Piccolantonio Awarded Fellowship to Attend Acclaimed Midwestern Leadership Institute

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna) today announced she is among 39 select lawmakers chosen to participate in a training program that annually identifies and assists promising state leaders in the Midwest.

Rep. Brown Piccolantonio will meet with fellow lawmakers from Ohio, 10 other Midwestern states, and four Canadian provinces on July 17-21, 2026 in Madison, Wisconsin, for The Council of State Governments' 31st annual Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development (BILLD).

“I am honored to have been selected to participate in the Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development. I look forward to the opportunity to learn and collaborate with my colleagues from across the Midwest on policies and strategies, especially those which will make life more affordable for Ohioans,” said Rep. Brown Piccolantonio.

"The Bowhay Institute is one of the premier leadership training programs in the nation," said Iowa State Sen. Amy Sinclair, who serves as co-chair of the institute's steering committee. "The legislatures in the region have benefited greatly from the skills their members have gained through this unique educational experience. Many of the graduates now hold key leadership positions in their state."

Since 1995, more than 1,000 lawmakers have graduated from the Bowhay Institute. State and provincial legislators from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Saskatchewan are chosen to participate through a competitive, nonpartisan selection process. Members of the Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario legislative assemblies are selected by their caucuses to take part in the program.

BILLD was founded in 1995 to help new legislators meet the demands of increased policy responsibility being shifted to the states and, in many states, term limits and high legislative turnover. These two emerging forces highlight the shortage of training available for legislators–a void that BILLD aims to fill.

A program of The Council of State Governments' Midwestern Office, the 2026 BILLD program will include courses and seminars conducted by policy experts, Midwestern legislative leaders, and professional development trainers. In addition to a curriculum designed to develop leadership skills, the program analyzes a variety of public policy issues.

The Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development is named in honor of the late James Bowhay, longtime director of The Council of State Governments' Midwestern Office. The program is funded through grants from foundations and corporate sponsors and an in-kind contribution from The Council of State Governments' Midwestern Office.

Founded in 1933, The Council of State Governments has national headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky, and regional offices in Atlanta, Chicago (Lombard, Illinois), New York City, and Sacramento. The goal of the national, nonpartisan organization is to assist and advance state government by providing research assistance, professional development and educational opportunities, interstate consulting services, and public policy trends analysis.