Senator Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson) was selected for the 2019 Class of Emerging
Legislative Leaders Program through the State Legislative Leaders Foundation (SLLF) after becoming
nominated by President Pro-Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham).
The Emerging Legislative Leaders Program is designed specifically for the next generation of leaders who
are likely to be at the helm of tomorrow’s legislatures. Each year SLLF receives over 200 nominations for
50 seats. To be selected, a first or second term legislator must be nominated by their House Speaker,
Senate President, or House or Senate Minority Leader. An independent selection committee then chooses
the finalists.
Up to 50 of the best and brightest state legislators from across the nation take part in 4 days of challenging
classroom discussions, led by a team of professors at the Darden School of Business on the campus of the
University of Virginia. The annual program convenes every July.
Senator Berger commented, “Senator Edwards brings valuable small business expertise to the
North Carolina Senate, and he is a thought leader on many of the issues we address each session.
It’s not surprising that he will be recognized with this honor, and I trust he’ll represent our great
state with the same degree of competence and insight with which he represents his district in the
legislature.”
In each state legislature, every House Speaker, Senate President, and House and Senate Minority Leader is
invited to nominate first-or second-term legislators to apply to this program.
“It is a privilege and an honor to be selected as a member of an exemplary class of future legislative
leaders,” said Senator Edwards. “This is a tremendous opportunity to work collaboratively with
colleagues from across the nation and political spectrum on issues that impact the lives of folks we
represent. I am eager to apply the additional skills and knowledge I expect to gain from this
experience to just that.”
About the State Legislative Leaders Foundation (SLLF)
The State Legislative Leaders Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, independent national organization
committed to providing specialized educational and enrichment programs for the leaders of our nation’s
state legislatures – speakers of the house, senate presidents, majority leaders, minority leaders, and pro-
tempores. It is the only legislative organization dedicated solely to serving all state legislative leaders. In its
40+ years, the SLLF has distinguished itself as the leading legislative leadership organization in the nation.
