The Council of State Governments is the nation’s only nonpartisan association of state officials serving all three branches of government in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. CSG is a region-based, national organization that promotes excellence in state government. CSG fosters the interstate exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials shape public policy, and it offers unparalleled regional, national and international opportunities to network, develop leaders, collaborate and create problem-solving partnerships.
CSG Midwest focuses on meeting the needs of state policymakers and leaders in the nation’s heartland, including 11 Midwestern states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. In addition, four Canadian provinces — Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan — are members or affiliate members of CSG Midwest’s Midwestern Legislative Conference.
You are automatically a member of The Council of State Governments (and able to take advantage of our member services) if you are:
An elected or appointed state government official or
A staff member in the executive, legislative or judicial branches of state government
Through our publications and research services, we strive to keep the region’s state officials informed about critical issues, emerging trends and best practices that are impacting their work as leaders in state government. We provide opportunities for policymakers to share resources, strategies and ideas with counterparts in other states at regional and national conferences as well as through our committees and task forces. In addition, leadership and professional development training is available to help newer state legislators develop the skills they need to be effective state government leaders.
For more information on our services, please give us a call at 630.925.1922 or send us an email.
Midwestern Legislative Conference
A principal objective of CSG Midwest is to support the efforts of the Midwestern Legislative Conference. The MLC is a nonpartisan association of all legislators representing 11 states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin) and the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario are MLC affiliate members.
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus (GLLC) is a binational, nonpartisan organization that exists solely for the purpose of engaging state and provincial legislators in the policy-making process related to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. CSG Midwest provides staff support to the caucus.
The Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission (MIPRC) brings together state leaders from across the region to advocate for passenger rail improvements. Formed by compact agreement in 2000, MIPRC’s current members are Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and Wisconsin. CSG Midwest provides secretariat services to the commission. Laura Kliewer serves as director of the commission.
The Midwestern Radioactive Materials Transportation Project is a joint project between CSG Midwest and the U.S. Department of Energy. Since its inception in 1989, this project has helped state governments in the Midwest learn about and provide input into the DOE’s plans for shipping radioactive materials through the region. The cooperative agreement has also enabled states on the shipping routes to receive financial assistance from the DOE in order to prepare for shipments.
The Midwestern Legislative Service Agency/Research Directors Group is a network of nonpartisan legislative service agency directors and staff representing the 11 Midwestern states. The group facilitates the interstate exchange of information among participating agencies. During the group’s meetings, participants examine various facets of nonpartisan legislative staff work, including: legislative research, bill drafting, committee staffing, membership services, information technology, staff management and training, and professional ethics.
For more information, please contact Ilene Grossman at 630.925.1922.
State Capitol Dome - Indianapolis, Indiana.
Staff
Laura Tomaka
Director
Laura
A.
Tomaka
is
director
of
the
CSG
Midwest
office.
She
is
responsible
for
managing
the
staff
and
providing
secretariat
services
to
the
Midwestern
Legislative
Conference,
along
with
various
other
association
duties.
Before
serving
as
director,
Laura
served
as
CSG
...
Midwest
director
of
policy
and
professional
development.
She
served
many
years
as
CSG
Midwest's
lead
staff
person
for
the
Midwestern
Legislative
Conference
Economic
Development
Committee
and
as
program
coordinator
for
the
Bowhay
Institute
for
Legislative
Leadership
Development
(BILLD).
Laura
holds
a
bachelor's
degree
in
political
science
from
Old
Dominion
University
and
a
master's
degree
in
political
science
from
Loyola
University
in
Chicago.
Phone:
630.925.1922
Tim
edits
and
manages
Stateline
Midwest,
CSG
Midwest's
flagship
publication,
and
helps
manage
the
CSG
Midwest
website.
He
also
serves
as
lead
staff
person
for
the
Midwestern
Legislative
Conference
Health
&
Human
Services
Committee
while
serving
as
staff
liaison
to
...
the
states
of
Nebraska
and
North
Dakota.
Tim
holds
undergraduate
degrees
in
journalism
and
education
from
Butler
University
as
well
as
a
master's
degree
in
political
science
from
Northern
Illinois
University.
Phone:
630.925.1922
Mitch
serves
as
CSG
Midwest's
program
manager
for
the
Midwestern
Radioactive
Materials
Transportation
Project
and
the
Midwestern
Radioactive
Materials
Transportation
Committee.
He
also
is
CSG
Midwest's
lead
staff
person
for
the
Midwestern
Legislative
Conference
Midwest-Canada
Relations
Committee
and
the
office's
...
staff
liaison
for
the
states
of
Illinois
and
Minnesota.
Mitch
holds
an
undergraduate
degree
in
political
science
and
international
studies
from
the
University
of
Wisconsin-Madison
as
well
as
a
master's
degree
in
international
public
affairs
from
the
La
Follette
School
of
Public
Affairs
at
UW-Madison.
Phone:
630.925.1922
Derek
serves
as
CSG
Midwest's
lead
staff
person
for
two
Midwestern
Legislative
Conference
policy
committees:
1)
Education
&
Workforce
Development
and
2)
Criminal
Justice
&
Public
Safety.
He
also
is
the
office's
staff
liaison
for
the
states
of
Indiana,
Iowa
...
and
Ohio.
Derek
holds
a
bachelor’s
degree
in
history
and
secondary
education
from
Bradley
University,
a
master’s
degree
in
curriculum
and
instruction
from
Kansas
State
University,
and
a
master’s
degree
in
public
affairs
reporting
from
the
University
of
Illinois-Springfield.
Phone:
630.925.1922.
Jenny
is
responsible
for
leading
the
office
administrative
staff,
and
also
guides
CSG
Midwest's
marketing
efforts
and
oversees
its
website.
Additionally,
she
acts
as
the
lead
host
state
contact
for
the
Midwestern
Legislative
Conference
Annual
Meeting.
Jenny
holds
a
bachelor's
...
degree
in
geography
from
the
University
of
Illinois
at
Chicago.
Phone:
630.282.3061
Jon
serves
as
assistant
editor
for
Stateline
Midwest
and
as
lead
staff
person
for
the
Midwestern
Legislative
Conference
Energy
&
Environment
Committee.
Additional
duties
include
assisting
with
CSG
Midwest's
work
on
behalf
of
the
Midwest
Interstate
Passenger
Rail
Commission
and
...
the
Great
Lakes-St.
Lawrence
Legislative
Caucus.
Jon
also
is
CSG
Midwest's
staff
liaison
for
the
states
of
South
Dakota
and
Wisconsin.
He
holds
an
undergraduate
degree
in
English
from
the
University
of
Wisconsin-Madison
and
a
master’s
degree
in
public
affairs
reporting
from
the
University
of
Illinois
at
Springfield.
Phone:
630.282.3063
Ilene
leads
CSG
Midwest's
work
on
international
relations
and
also
heads
up
much
of
the
office's
fundraising
work
in
support
of
the
Midwestern
Legislative
Conference
Annual
Meeting.
For
many
years,
Ilene
served
as
lead
staff
person
for
the
Midwestern
Legislative
...
Conference
Midwest-Canada
Relations
Committee.
She
continues
to
work
as
staff
liaison
to
a
regional,
binational
Energy
Subcommittee
of
the
Midwest-Canada
Relations
Committee.
Ilene
holds
an
undergraduate
degree
in
political
science
from
Drake
University
and
a
master's
degree
in
political
science
from
American
University.
Phone:
630.925.1922
Laura
serves
as
director
of
the
Midwest
Interstate
Passenger
Rail
Commission.
She
also
leads
CSG
Midwest's
planning
efforts
for
the
business
program
of
the
Midwestern
Legislative
Conference
Annual
Meeting.
Additionally,
Laura
is
the
CSG
Midwest
staff
liaison
for
the
states
...
of
Kansas
and
Michigan.
She
holds
an
undergraduate
degree
in
political
science
from
the
University
of
California-Los
Angeles
and
a
master's
degree
in
communications
from
Wheaton
College.
Phone:
630.925.1922
Jess
is
CSG
Midwest's
Great
Lakes
program
director.
In
this
position,
she
guides
the
many
activities
and
services
provided
to
state
and
provincial
legislators
through
the
Great
Lakes-St.
Lawrence
Legislative
Caucus
(GLLC)
—
a
binational,
nonpartisan
organization
of
state
and
...
provincial
legislators
working
together
to
protect
the
Great
Lakes
basin.
Jess
attained
her
master's
degree
in
public
policy
from
Michigan
State
University
and
holds
bachelor's
degrees
in
political
science
and
history
from
the
University
of
Michigan-Dearborn.
Phone:
630.282.3077
Christina
provides
administrative
support
to
CSG
Midwest
staff
and
assists
with
day-to-day
office
management.
Her
duties
include
managing
the
member
database
as
well
leading
registration
efforts
for
various
CSG
Midwest
events,
including
the
Midwestern
Legislative
Conference
Annual
Meeting
registration.
Christina
...
has
more
than
30
years
of
experience
in
the
trade
show,
event
and
meeting
planning
industries,
specializing
in
travel
and
meeting
management,
logistics,
operations,
contracts,
food
and
beverage,
office
management
and
computer
technology.
Phone:
630.925.1922
Kathy
provides
administrative
support
and
assists
with
meeting
planning
efforts
for
CSG
Midwest.
Her
other
duties
included
helping
manage
the
member
database,
develop
office
marketing
materials,
and
plan
for
the
Midwestern
Legislative
Conference
Annual
Meeting.
She
holds
a
bachelor's
degree
...
in
business
administration
from
Aurora
University.
Phone:
630.925.1922
