State Sen. Angela Williams has been selected for a leadership development program for state government officials.

The high-profile Council of State Governments’ Henry Toll Fellowship convenes a group of the nation’s “top officials” for a six-day, five-night “intellectual boot camp.” It is a program that has been around for more than 30 years.

“By participating in the CSG Toll Fellowship, I hope to learn advanced strategic planning and innovative thinking skills to move the state forward on issues that benefit the citizens of my state,” Williams said.

The Toll Fellowship is named for CSG founder Henry Walcott Toll. CSG is an organization that works with state official to help shape public policy. It provides networking opportunities in an effort to develop leaders.

For 2017, 48 officials have been selected from 32 states, Puerto Rico and Guam. The officials represent all three branches of government.

This year’s program will be held Aug. 25-30 in Lexington, Ky.

“CSG’s Toll Fellowship is a once-in-a-lifetime leadership development opportunity that has shaped public service careers for decades,” said David Adkins, CSG executive director. “CSG welcomes these new leaders into the Toll Fellows family and we look forward to being a resource for them throughout their careers.”

Previous fellowship programs have included sessions on leadership personality assessment, media training, crisis management, appreciative inquiry and adaptive leadership.

“Continuing leadership development training for state officials is important because it ensures we are knowledgeable about public policy and the ever-changing solutions to state-level policy,” Williams said. “Professional development is important to help state officials to think strategically about solving complex issues and navigate through political environments.”