Bolingbrook state legislator tapped for leadership program

State Rep. Dagmara Avelar recently announced she was selected to participate in this year’s Edgar Fellows Program.

The program, designed by former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, aims to “inspire respectful and collaborative leadership to address the state’s major challenges,” according to a news release.

“I am incredibly humbled and honored to be part of this year’s cohort,” Avelar, D-Bolingbrook, said in a statement. “I am excited to join an impressive number of leaders dedicated to public service and community empowerment.”

Avelar is one of 40 participants selected this year from a field of 187 nominees. The nominees reflect the state’s “political, ethnic and geographic diversity,” according to the release. They include elected and appointed officials from all levels of government, leaders of nonprofit organizations and individuals who are making their mark in the business world.

“Each year, the Edgar Fellows Program brings together a group of leaders, with different backgrounds and different politics, from all over Illinois,” Edgar said in the release. “They share and learn from those unique life experiences and, ultimately, find out that they have more in common than they have differences.”

This week, the fellows will take part in intense executive training designed and hosted by Edgar and the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs. The fellows will engage with more than two dozen policy experts and experienced practitioners.

Avelar’s district includes parts of Bolingbrook, Lockport and Romeoville.