Manley Celebrates Edgar Fellows Class of 2025

CHICAGO, Ill. – State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, recently celebrated the Edgar Fellows

initiative, developed by former Governor Jim Edgar, honoring emerging leaders in Illinois public

policy at the annual Edgar Fellows Dinner in Chicago.

The program provides training in statesmanship and current issues, while fostering and nurturing

relationships that cross regional, political and personal experience boundaries, according to

edgarfellows.org. 40 Edgar Fellows were selected for the Class of 2025. The program started in

2012.

“The late Governor Jim Edgar, who passed away recently, was an incredible leader who worked

with both sides of the aisle to realize his vision for Illinois,” Rep. Manley said. “Supporting the

Edgar Fellows program is one step toward restoring dignity to our state’s legislative process in

an era when the heart of democracy is under attack at the federal level.”

Each class of Edgar Fellows include representatives from the public, private and nonprofit

sectors. They attend a week-long executive training workshop taught by an array of individuals

with extensive public policy experience.

“The Edgar Fellows initiative will serve as a lasting legacy to an incredible public servant, Jim

Edgar,” Manley said.