Leadership Excellence for Nonpartisan Staff (LENS)
Leadership Excellence for Nonpartisan Staff (LENS)
Strengthening the legislative institution by developing the next generation of principled leaders
CSG West, in partnership with the Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University, hosts the Leadership Excellence for Nonpartisan Staff (LENS) program. The LENS program brings together rising leaders in various nonpartisan staff offices in Western state legislatures for an eight-week, collaborative leadership development curriculum designed to bolster the strength of legislative institutions and build a pipeline for principled governance in state offices for the next generation.
For more information on the LENS program, please contact Will Keyse at wkeyse@csg.org.
What is LENS?
LENS participants can expect to delve into the following areas of leadership:
- Building self-awareness on leadership and communication styles through personality assessment(s)
- Strategies to help navigate the nonpartisan responsibility and protect the legislative institution
- Navigating conflict and difficult situations through communication and influence
- Managing up, managing down, and working collaboratively with peers
- Building a culture of excellence for optimal performance
During the program, participants can expect to spend up to 3 hours per week on virtual sessions, group collaboration, individual homework, and mentorship. The LENS curriculum will include ten online classes, one individual project, one group project, and working with an in-state mentor appointed by the legislative agency director to provide coaching and accountability on goal-setting progress.
After the following year’s legislative session, each LENS cohort will gather at the CSG West Annual Meeting to engage in additional leadership development and relationship building.
Who Attends?
Participation in the program is dependent on appointments from each state’s agency directors.
Roster
2024 Alumni
Alaska
Kate Higgins, Legislative Analyst
Danea Burns, Statewide Information Officer, Manager of Information and Teleconference
Sofia Tenney, House Records
California
Jess Gosney, Deputy Legislative Counsel
Sara Cortez, Principal Fiscal and Policy Analyst
Martin Lee, Assembly Rules Committee
Colorado
Anna Gerstle, School Finance & Fiscal Analyst
Nicole Myers, Managing Senior Attorney and Assistant Team Leader
Brita Darling, Senior Attorney
Hawaii
Andrea (Andy) Langhurst, Head Coordinator, Public Access Room
Jessica Caniglia, Senior Librarian
Idaho
Olivia Johnson, Senior Editor
Layce Silvey, Legislative Librarian
New Mexico
Erin Bond, Researcher I
Michelle Luna, Proofreader II
Nevada
Patrick Ashton, Principal Policy Analyst
Jann Stinnesback, Principal Policy Analyst
Jennifer Otto, Audit Manager
Oregon
Ben Hatch, Media Services Team Leader
Sean Murphy, Senior Committee Assistant
Stacy Nalley, Capitol Outreach Coordinator
Utah
Ryan Thelin, Audit Supervisor
Lacey Moore, Finance Officer
Adam Sweet, Deputy Director
Washington
Ailey Kato, Senate Committee Coordinator
Wyoming
Kelly Lower, Research Analyst
Hank Hoversland, Fiscal Analyst
Clarissa Nord, Legislative Editor
2023 Alumni
Alaska
Christian Gruening, Engrossing Clerk
Derek Lail, Technical Support Specialist
Katie Lewis, Payroll Officer
California
Sharon Everett, Principal Deputy Legislative Counsel
Ann Hollingshead, Principal Fiscal and Policy Analyst
Colorado
Jamie Grant, Lead Systems Administrator
Conrad Imel, Senior Attorney
Julia Jackson, Principal Research Analyst
Hawaii
Johnny Brannon, Senior Attorney
Matt Coke, Senior Attorney
Idaho
Erin Phipps, Revenue Analyst
Montana
Toni Henneman, Research Analyst
Megan Moore, Research Analyst
Casey Pallister, Research Analyst
New Mexico
Amy Chavez-Romero, Asst. Director for Legislative Affairs
Veronica Grace, Human Resources Supervisor
Joanne Vandestreek, Senior Legislative Librarian
Nevada
Cesar Malgarejo, Principal Policy Analyst
Diane Thornton, Chief Principal Policy Analyst
Oregon
Sam Koopman, Senior Committee Assistant
Carlos Valenzuela, Language Access Coordinator
Adam Villareal, Senior Accountant
Utah
Sean Faherty, Finance Manager
Jesse Martinson, Audit Manager
Thomas Vaughn, Managing Associate General Counsel
Washington
Susan Jones, Senior Coordinator/Counsel
Megan Mulvihill, Senior Research Analyst
Wyoming
Pierre Chesnais, Associate Research Analyst
Brian Fuller, Senior Staff Attorney
Elizabeth Martineau, Senior Fiscal Analyst
Program Sponsorship
For information on sponsor opportunities, please contact Edgar Ruiz, CSG West Director.