St. Paul, Minn. – The Hibbing Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class received firsthand experience at the Capitol in advocacy, lobbying, and political leadership. The class of 41 were hosted by Hibbing-area legislators Senator David Tomassoni (DFL-Chisholm), RepresentativeJulie Sandstede (DFL-Hibbing), and Representative Dave Lislegard (DFL-Aurora) for a full day of activities on Thursday designed to give them a taste of the legislative process at the State Capitol.
“The work that gets done at the Capitol touches on every aspect of people’s lives in Minnesota, and affect people in every part of our state,” said Sen. Tomassoni. “It’s very valuable for our future leaders to come here and be a part of these discussions, to learn about how they can become effective advocates for our community, and also to teach legislators about how we can be better public servants for them.”
“These leaders are valuable community advocates, and this opportunity helps them become even more effective in those roles and interacting with the work done here in St. Paul,” said Rep. Sandstede. “I also want to congratulate retiring Chamber President Lori Fedo for her decades of leadership and advocating for our region. I am confident our new President Vicki Hagberg is well equipped to fill such big shoes.”
“Effective leadership requires the drive to learn and grow, and that’s what this class delivers for these advocates in meeting with legislators and lobbyists,” said Rep. Lislegard. “It’s also a great opportunity for us as legislators to learn about how we can be better in working for our constituents.”
The day at the Capitol included meetings with the Iron Range delegation, Governor Tim Walz, Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, Secretary of State Steve Simon, Deputy Attorney General John Keller, and a panel discussion with lobbyists for Mining Minnesota, Iron Mining Association, and HealthPartners.
