FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2024
COMMISSIONER JOAN GOLDSTEIN SELECTED FOR PRESTIGIOUS CSG HENRY TOLL FELLOWSHIP
Goldstein is one of forty-nine outstanding state leaders selected to join national leadership development program for government officials.
Montpelier, Vt. – The Council of State Governments has announced that Vermont Commissioner of Economic Development Joan Goldstein has been selected to participate in the 2024 CSG Henry Toll Fellowship. Bringing together 49 individuals representing 34 states and U.S. territories and all three branches of state government, the Henry Toll Fellowship is the nation’s premier leadership development program for state government officials.
"I am deeply honored to be selected for the CSG Henry Toll Fellowship. This program is an incredible opportunity to learn from some of the most innovative and dedicated leaders across the United States,” stated Commissioner Goldstein. “I look forward to bringing these insights back to Vermont to further our economic development efforts and to continue making a positive impact on our state."
Toll Fellows are nominated by their peers and selected by alumni of the program. Commissioner Goldstein was recommended for the fellowship by Governor Phil Scott and Secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development Lindsay Kurrle.
“Joan’s leadership and creativity consistently support our work to grow the economy, leading to programs that have a positive impact or fill gaps in what we are currently offering employers,” said Governor Phil Scott. “I’m proud to see her receive this Toll Fellowship, and I know the skills and experience she’ll gain from it will further advance our economic development goals to the benefit of all Vermonters.”
“Commissioner Goldstein is a resourceful problem-solver who truly understands economic development and the barriers to growth. She works tirelessly to address those barriers and remove them for the betterment of Vermont,” stated Secretary Kurrle. “For these reasons and more, Commissioner Goldstein is a fantastic fit for the Henry Toll Fellowship.”
Since 1986, CSG has annually convened a new class of CSG Henry Toll Fellows at its national headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky, for an intensive leadership boot camp. The program’s sessions are designed to stimulate personal assessment and growth, empower leaders to collaborate and communicate more effectively, and provide nonpartisan networking and relationship-building opportunities.
“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 committed to improving the lives of the people they serve,” said CSG Executive Director/CEO David Adkins, a former Kansas state senator and 1993 CSG Henry Toll Fellow alumnus. “Toll Fellows are selected based on their demonstrated commitment to solve problems, to work collaboratively to get things done, and their belief that state government can and must be a force for good.”
Several Vermont lawmakers are Toll Fellowship Alumni, and Vermont is also represented in the 2024 class by Rep. Jana Brown. There are over 1,400 graduates of the Toll Fellowship, including four sitting state/territorial house speakers, eight sitting state supreme court justices, 10 sitting members of Congress, three sitting governors and more than 200 Toll alumni currently serving as state/territorial legislators.
For more information on the CSG Henry Toll Fellowship, visit: csgovts.info/tolls24 or email toll@csg.org.
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