The State Legislative Leaders Foundation has announced that its annual Emerging Legislative Leaders Program will be named in honor of the former Speaker Emerita of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and alumna of the program, Melissa Hortman.
Starting with its 22nd annual meeting in July of 2026, the program will officially be named the Melissa Hortman Emerging Leaders Program. Hortman attended the program as an emerging leader herself in 2009. During her time in leadership, SLLF accepted eight of her emerging leader nominees to attend the prestigious, and thought-provoking program held at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
SLLF President Stephen Lakis said Speaker Emerita Hortman was someone who truly understood what it meant to be a leader, and the Foundation could think of no higher honor than attaching her name to this rigorous leadership training.
“Melissa was one of the finest leaders I have ever known. She demonstrated unwavering integrity, guiding the Minnesota House of Representatives with honesty, compassion, intelligence, wit, and a healthy dose of common sense. Noble qualities that all current and future leaders should aspire to. She will be deeply missed. She will never be forgotten.”
SLLF is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to professional development for our nation’s current and future state legislative leaders. Its constituency includes Speakers of the House, Senate Presidents, Majority Leaders, Minority Leaders, and Leaders Pro Tempore.
SLLF’s Emerging Legislative Leaders Program asks these leaders to identify first and second term legislators who have potential to be future leaders. Once nominated, applicants submit a series of essays to earn their spot. Each year approximately 50 applicants are selected from across the country out of more than 200 submissions. Since its inception more than 1,000 legislators have graduated from the program including seven current Speakers of the House.
The Melissa Hortman Emerging Leaders Program will commence in July 2026.
