Colorado’s State Capitol Building In 1868, prior to Colorado’s statehood, successful real estate entrepre- neur Henry C. Brown offered to donate ten acres of land in Denver for the construction of the Colorado State Capitol. His offer was readily accepted as it occupied a sloping hillside with a picturesque view of the city and the moun- tains to the west. Following Colorado’s statehood in 1876, and after a long and arduous process, the Capitol Building was completed in 1908 when the dome was leafed with 200 ounces of pure gold and the electric bulb placed on top of it. The bulb atop the dome stirred controversy, but the Board of Capitol Managers countered with its official statement: “The fact exists that a thing of beauty is a joy forever.” I NSIDE THIS ISSUE : NEWS FROM THE LSS CHAIR 2 2012 ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS 3 DENVER P REVIEW 4-6 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 7-13 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE I NVITATION 14 2012 PDS HIGHLIGHTS 15-18 NCSL OVERVIEW 19 D ENVER IN 2013 LSS Professional Development Seminar Denver, Colorado October 9-11, 2013 LSS, LSSS and RACSS will meet together this fall for the annual Professional Development Sem- inar. Both combined and sepa- rate sessions are planned to in- crease the effectiveness of legis- lative staff. Visit the LSS web- site for registration and agenda information. http://www.ncsl.org/legislative- staff/leaderstaff/lss-2013- professional-development- seminar.aspx DETAILS INSIDE N ATIONAL C ONFERENCE OF S TATE L EGISLATURES L EADERSHIP S TAFF S ECTION S UMMER 2013
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NSL LEADERSHIP STAFF SECTION
Colorado’s State Capitol Building In 1868, prior to Colorado’s statehood, successful real estate entrepre-neur Henry C. Brown offered to donate ten acres of land in Denver for the construction of the Colorado State Capitol. His offer was readily accepted as it occupied a sloping hillside with a picturesque view of the city and the moun-tains to the west.
Following Colorado’s statehood in 1876, and after a long and arduous process, the Capitol Building was completed in 1908 when the dome was leafed with 200 ounces of pure gold and the electric bulb placed on top of it.
The bulb atop the dome stirred controversy, but the Board of Capitol Managers countered with its official statement: “The fact exists that a thing of beauty is a joy forever.”
INSIDE THIS ISSUE :
NEWS FROM THE
LSS CHAIR
2
2012 ACHIEVEMENT
AWARDS
3
DENVER
PREVIEW
4-6
EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE
7-13
EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE
INVITATION
14
2012 PDS
HIGHLIGHTS
15-18
NCSL OVERVIEW 19
DENVER IN 2013
LSS Professional Development Seminar
Denver, Colorado
October 9-11, 2013
LSS, LSSS and RACSS will meet together this fall for the annual Professional Development Sem-inar. Both combined and sepa-rate sessions are planned to in-crease the effectiveness of legis-lative staff. Visit the LSS web-site for registration and agenda information. http://www.ncsl.org/legislative-staff/leaderstaff/lss-2013-professional-development-seminar.aspx
An organization doesn’t last 38 years by standing still. It endures by reinventing itself, striving to meet the growing needs of its members, and by finding new ways to reach out to new members.
I believe the original “29” would be extremely proud of what the Leadership Staff Section has achieved, and even more excited about our outlook for the future. In 1975, those 29 members envi-sioned what a good section we could become when they laid the groundwork for this group. Over the years, we have become bet-ter than a “good” organization. LSS has grown into a great organi-zation whose members, even years later, are remembered for what they helped accomplish.
We have shared ideas and learned from each other. We have created unique programs and expanded our methods of communicating, and we continue to offer innovative ways to make any staffer’s job easier. In fact, I can’t think of another organization which provides the level of professional development offered by LSS.
But we are more than an organization--we are a family. We laugh together, share experi-ences with each other, support each other, and sometimes disagree with each other. We mourn when we lose a member and rejoice when someone finds happiness. We have encouraged each other through health problems, never-ending legislative sessions, and natural disasters.
Like most organization, we have faced several setbacks in the past few years. As the econ-omy continues to improve, hopefully so will our numbers. In the past few months, Natalie Wood, our NCSL staff section liaison, has received several emails regarding our section, and we are en-couraging those individuals to attend our Professional Development Seminar in Denver, Colora-do, in the fall. I am excited to say that Kentucky will be sending two new members to Denver. For registration information, see http://www.ncsl.org/legislative-staff/leaderstaff/lss-2013-professional-development-seminar.aspx or contact Natalie Wood at [email protected].
With that said, please mark your calendars for October 9 -11, 2013, for the Leadership Staff Professional Development Seminar in Denver. As always, it promises to be an exciting, in-formative and fun session. I look forward to seeing everyone in Denver, and until then, be safe.
Terri Franks-Smith (Idaho House) and Arnold Sowell (California Assembly) are the 2012 recipients of the annual LSS Legislative Staff Achievement Awards. Each was presented the award last Octo-ber at the LSS Professional Development Seminar in Madison, Wisconsin.
Congratulations to the 2012 LSS Achievement Award Recipients
Terri Franks-Smith Chief Fiscal Officer Idaho House
Terri Franks-Smith began working for the Speaker’s Office in the Idaho House in 1973 and has served nine consecutive Speakers. As chief fiscal officer, Terri administers the House budget and handles legislator compensation, accounts paya-ble, human resources, payroll and benefit administra-tion. Her institutional knowledge of the Idaho Legislature and its players spans four decades.
Terri has been active with LSS since 1995, serving several terms on its Executive Committee. She is a regular attendee at LSS Professional Development Seminars. She has been an active participant on several LSS committees, including Awards, Bylaws, Outreach, Finance & Fundraising, and Nominations, and she has chaired Bylaws and Awards.
Terri is a friend to LSS veterans and she welcomes newcom-ers, helping them navigate their way into LSS.
Arnold Sowell Policy Director for the Speaker’s Office California Assembly
Arnie Sowell has served as Policy Advisor under several California Speakers. Arnie’s accomplishments are notewor-thy, having provided insight and counsel on nearly all legis-lation introduced and passed in the California Assembly, particularly on behalf of veterans and the environment.
Arnie is mindful of staff with whom he works, and he de-votes time and effort in mentoring and developing the next generation of legislative staff by maximizing the inclusion of
legislative staff in policymaking.
Prior to his position as Policy Advisor, Arnie served in the administration of Governor Gray Davis.
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Preliminary Agenda for Denver 2013 LSS Professional Development Seminar
Grand Hyatt Denver
Wednesday, October 9
7:00 am-5:00 pm Registration
7:30 am-8:30 am Breakfast
8:30 am-10:00 am Reading, Decoding, and Spinning Polls - A User's Guide Faculty: Karen Shanton, NCSL
10:15 am-12 noon Crossing the Communication Chasm Speaker: Tim Murray, ODL Consultant, Organization Development and Learning,
Mountain States Employers’ Council, Inc. 12 noon-1:15 pm Luncheon
1:30 pm-2:45 pm The Power of Persuasion: Concepts and Techniques for the Legislative Workplace Faculty: Curt Stedron, Speech and Debate Coach and National Forensic League Dia-
mond Coach, Colorado 3:15 pm-5:00 pm Leadership Staff Roundtable and State Capitol Tours
5:00 pm-6:00 pm Opening Reception
Thursday, October 10
7:30 am-8:30 am Breakfast
8:30 am-10:00 am Employment Law 201
Faculty: Jonathan Segal, Duane Morris LLP 10:00 am-11:15 am Effective Use of the Interim
Faculty: Bryant Howe, Deputy Director, Utah Office of Legislative Research and Gen-
eral Council and Sharon Wenger, Principal Research Analyst, Kansas Legislative Re-
search Department 11:30 a.m. Bus Departs for Boulder
12:30 pm-4:00 pm Leadership Challenge Course
This interactive half-day workshop, exclusive for the Leadership Staff Section, will fo-
cus on building leadership, teamwork and problem-solving skills. Faculty: CBST Adventures, Colorado
4:00 pm-6:00 pm Explore Boulder
6:00 pm Bus Departs for Denver
Friday, October 11
7:30 am-12 noon Information Desk
8:30 am-10:00 am LSS Breakfast and Business Meeting
10:15 am-11:30 am Governing in a Purple State
Faculty: Tom Cronin, Professor of American Government & Leadership, Colorado Col-
lege and Robert Loevy, Professor of Political Science (retired), Colorado College
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Fun Facts about ColoradoFun Facts about Colorado
C olorado became the 38th state in 1876. It is nicknamed the Centennial State because it was admitted to statehood during the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence. It is also nicknamed Colorful Colorado because of its magnificent scenery. Colorado means “colored red.” Approximately five million people have made Colorado their home.
Colorado has 54 mountain peaks that exceed 14,000 feet, including Pikes Peak, the second most visited mountain in the world. Over a half million people reach the summit house every year.
Colorado’s General Assembly consists of 35 senators (20 Democrats and 15 Republicans) and 65 representa-tives (37 Democrats and 28 Republicans), for a total of 100. The General Assembly meets 120 days a year between January and May. (Senate Chamber pictured)
Colorado is proud of its four national parks: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Rocky Moun-tain National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park,
and Mesa Verde National Park.
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Fun Facts about DenverFun Facts about Denver
D enver, the capital city of Colorado, is nicknamed the Mile High City. At one point, the city measures 5,280 feet, exactly one mile above sea level. The 13th step of the State Capitol’s entrance marks the
exact spot where Denver is one mile high.
Denver has seven professional sports teams: the Denver Bron-cos football team, the Colorado Rockies baseball team, the
Denver Nuggets basketball team, the Colorado Avalanche hockey team, the Colorado Rapids soccer team, the Denver Barbarians rugby team, the Colorado Mammoth lacrosse team, and the Denver Outlaws lacrosse team.
Denver has the 10th largest downtown in America. Within a mile radius, there are 3 major sports stadiums, the na-tion’s second largest performing arts center, 3 colleges, a mint producing 10 billion coins a year, a river offering white water rafting, and numerous art and history muse-ums. (source www.denver.org )
Snow Skiing at Vail 97 miles from Denver
United States Air Force Academy 59 miles from Denver
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MEET YOUR LSS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE...
Sallie C. Bolton KY LSS Chair
Sallie Bolton has been employed by the Kentucky General Assembly since 1998. Currently, she works for Gregory D. Stumbo, Speaker of the House, where she has a variety of responsibilities including the prepara-tion of correspondence, citations, publications, and constituent ser-vices. Having served in the U.S. Ar-my, she handles all military issues for the House of Representatives, includ-ing the distinguished Memorial Cere-mony for Kentucky’s fallen military servicemen and women held each year on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Prior to joining the Kentucky Gen-eral Assembly, Sallie spent 20-plus years in the U.S. Army. Entering the military in 1987, she rose to the rank of Major before joining the Individual Ready Reserves. She has served two one-year tours in the Middle East.
Sallie graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor’s De-gree in Communication.
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Jeff Johnson WV LSS First Vice Chair Jeff Johnson has been employed by the West Virginia Senate since 2002. Jeff is counsel to the WV Sen-ate Committee on Health and Human Resources. He drafts legislation that is health care related for review, con-sideration and passage by the Senate Committee. He consults with lobby-ists and citizens to gather information to present before the full Commit-tee. Jeff also researches and opines on federal law and sister states to gain an understanding of the impact of legislation.
Prior to becoming LSS First Vice Chair, Jeff served as Second Vice Chair and two years as a Director on the LSS Executive Committee. Jeff served on the LSS Bylaws Committee and utilized his talents by drafting various changes in the LSS Bylaws.
Jeff graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1983 from the University of Charles-ton with a Bachelor of Arts de-gree. In 1986, he graduated from West Virginia University with dual degrees, a Master’s of Public Admin-istration and Juris Doctor.
Jeff loves to cook and is an avid fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team and the WVU Mountaineers.
Aurora Hauke AK LSS Second Vice Chair
Aurora Hauke has been employed by the Alaska State Legislature for 13 years, five years of which have been as Chief of Staff for the House Mi-nority Leader. In addition, she worked for this same legislator when she held the House Minority Whip position for two years.
During her 13 years, she has worked for both bodies of the legislature and with legislators serving from both political parties.
Aurora has been involved with the NCSL Leadership Staff Section since the 2007 Professional Development Seminar in Anchorage and looks for-ward to many more years with LSS.
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MEET YOUR LSS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE…
Nancy Butcher WV Immediate Past Chair
Nancy Butcher is the Office Admin-istrator for the West Virginia House of Delegates Committee on Fi-nance.
She has been active in the Leader-ship Staff Section of the NCSL since 2000. She has served on the Execu-tive Committee as a Director and served as Chair of the staff section in 2004-05. She has also served on numerous LSS committees and cur-rently serves as the Immediate Past Chair, Chair of the Program Devel-opment Committee and the Nomi-nations Committee, as well as serv-ing on the Bylaws Committee, Awards Committee and the e-Learning Task Force. She is the NCSL State Ambassador for the West Virginia Legislature.
Nancy received the NCSL Leader-ship Staff Achievement Award in 2008.
Lisa Davis MS Director
Lisa Davis received her BA degree in Business Administration from Jack-son State University, Jackson, MS.
In 1987, Lisa started working as As-sistant Scheduler for Mississippi Gov-ernor Ray Mabus, remaining with him until the end of his term.
She has been employed with the Mis-sissippi House of Representatives for 22 years as the Assistant Clerk. She is an Executive Committee at-large member of NCSL; a member of the Legislative Staff Coordinating Com-mittee; a member of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries; Executive Committee member of the Leadership Staff Sec-tion; National Black Caucus of State Legislators, Executive Committee Member (2011); and an Ex-Chair of the African American Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee.
Mechelle Miller LA Director
Mechelle Miller has been employed by the Louisiana House of Repre-sentatives since 1980. She is cur-rently the Director for the Louisiana Rural Caucus and works for 89 leg-islators, which includes House and Senate members. She has have held this position for the past 26 years.
Mechelle first attended NCSL Leadership Staff Section in 1990, which was hosted in Reno, Neva-da. She has had the opportunity to host two Leadership Staff Executive Meetings and one Leadership Staff Section Seminar in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1998, Mechelle served as Second Vice Chair and then as the Chair in 2000. During the past 20 years of involvement with the Leadership Staff Section, she has served on the Bylaws Com-mittee, Finance Committee, Pro-gram Development Committee, Outreach Committee, Awards Committee, and Nominating Com-mittee.
Mechelle received the LSS Achieve-ment Award in 2001 and 2011.
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MEET YOUR LSS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE…
Naomi Miller TX Director
Naomi Miller is the District Director for Texas Speaker Joe Straus. Naomi oversees district office operations and is responsible for communication be-tween the Speaker's House district and the Capitol office. Naomi assists in developing objectives, policies, strategies and operating plans for the district. She serves as liaison for Speaker Straus in House District 121 and in the San Antonio/Bexar County area.
Prior to joining Speaker Straus' team, Naomi worked in the Government Relations Department of USAA, a Fortune 500 financial services compa-ny offering banking, investing and insurance to people and families that serve, or have served, in the United States Military. Naomi monitored legislation in Texas, Louisiana, Okla-homa, Arkansas and Kansas as it per-tained to USAA's lines of business.
Erlinda Campbell NM Director
Prior to working in the Senate, Erlin-da worked for Carter-Wallace, an international pharmaceutical company out of New York, and the heir living in Santa Fe.
During Erlinda’s career, she has worked at various state agencies: EID, Air Quality Division, Department of Finance and Administration - Local Government, the Governor’s Office, Senate Finance Committee, and the New Mexico Attorney General’s Of-fice.
Erlinda has been in President Pro Tem’s Office from 2005 to the pre-sent, being the first ever to transition from one Pro Tem to another.
Erlinda has served with the Leadership Staff Section on the Executive Com-mittee for the last few years and as staff for the first two years of her at-tendance.
The Legislature houses only a select amount of interim employees when the legislators return home. Erlinda is the sole full-time employee in the Pro Tem’s office.
Family: 2 sons—Santa Fe City Police Officer, GSD Building Services Man-ager—and 3 grandsons
Terri Franks-Smith ID Director
Terri Franks-Smith began working for the Speaker’s Office in the Idaho House in 1973 and has served nine consecutive Speakers. As chief fiscal officer, Terri administers the House budget and handles legislator compen-sation, accounts payable, human re-sources, payroll and benefit admin-istration. Her institutional knowledge of the Idaho Legislature and its players spans four decades.
Terri has been active with LSS since 1995, serving several terms on its Ex-ecutive Committee. She frequently attends LSS Professional Development Seminars and the Legislative Summit and she received the LSS Achievement Award in 2012.
A lifelong resident of Boise, Idaho, Terri attended Boise State Universi-ty. Her family includes her husband Tim Smith, her daughter Katrine, a student at the College of Idaho, and two dogs and a cat. Her hobbies in-clude travel, art, jewelry making, old houses and antiques. She is also a crossword fanatic.
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MEET YOUR LSS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE…
Mary Sue Jones ID Director
After graduating from Boise State College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration/English, working for a couple of years as a legal assistant, and raising six incredible children, Mary Sue went to work for the Idaho State Senate. She started out as the Sergeant-At-Arms, moved on to the Majority Office and worked for the Majority Leader and the Assistant Majority Leader from 1992-1994. In 1995 Mary Sue was hired by the Pro Tem to work as the fiscal assistant in his office. She is currently working as the Chief of Staff in the Pro Tem’s office, and has thoroughly enjoyed working for three Pro Tems in the last 18 years. Mary Sue had the honor of serv-ing as Leadership Staff Section Chair in 2005-2006 and received the Legislative Staff Achievement Award in 2010. In addition to serving as Chair, she has served on the Awards, Finance, Nomina-tions, Outreach and Program Develop-ment Committees. The Leadership Staff Section has not only contributed to her professional development, but has ena-bled her to meet incredible people in-volved in state government throughout the nation. When not at work, Mary Sue cares for her mother who lives in her home and enjoys her husband, children and 14 grandchildren.
Jen Jankowski UT Director
Jen Jankowski is the Administrative Assistant for the Utah House Demo-cratic Caucus. In addition to coordi-nating caucus meetings and providing other administrative duties, she is also responsible for assisting in researching and analyzing policy, supervising in-terns, and providing constituent ser-vices. Prior to her work for the Caucus, Jen worked extensively for local cam-paigns and for the Utah State Demo-cratic Party. Previously, Jen worked in administration for the Park City Medical Center for three years, in-cluding assisting in the opening of the facility and working with the medical staff, giving her a particular interest in health policy. Jen also serves as a member of the Executive Committee for the Leadership Staff Section of NCSL. She graduated from the Uni-versity of Utah with a Master’s De-gree in Political Science.
Patricia Walker AK Director
Patricia Walker has been em-ployed by the Alaska State Legislature since 1993. She began as an intern, after which she was hired as a member of the staff. In 2001, Patricia became Finance Assistant for Senator Lyman Hoffman, member of the Senate Finance Commit-tee. Patricia assists the Chief of Staff in agency subcommittee budgets and the supplemental budget and is responsible for constituent capital budget project requests. She is responsible for constitu-ent services, staffing to Senator Hoffman in his other committee assignments, and his constituent newsletter (weekly/session – bi-monthly/interim). Patricia became involved in LSS in 2009 and is now a Director on the Executive Committee. On the personal side, Patricia is an Alaska Native of the Tlingit/Tsimshian Tribe of the Raven moiety and the Tak’Dein Taan clan. Her cultur-ally based interests are Chilkat and Geo-metric weaving. She actively sews tradi-tional garments for use in ceremonies for her family. She is learning her language, songs, and stories in order to teach them to the next generation.
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MEET YOUR NCSL LEADERSHIP STAFF SECTION LIAISON…
The Center for Ethics in Government at NCSL champions ethical standards and practices for legislators,
legislative staff, and advocates in the legislative process. The Center conducts seminars in value-based eth-
ics and provides 50-state research on ethics laws on its Web site: www.ncsl.org
Natalie O'Donnell Wood
Natalie O'Donnell Wood is a Program Principal with the Center for Ethics in Government at the National
Conference of State Legislatures, where she specializes in ethics and lobbying policies.
She came to NCSL in 2000 and has worked on a variety of topics, including child support and family law
policy, legislative rules and procedure, and legislative staff issues. She serves as NCSL's liaison to the
Leadership Staff Section, and is NCSL’s liaison to the Illinois General Assembly.
Natalie received her bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana, where she ob-
tained a degree in political science. She holds a master's degree in political science, politics and public poli-
cy from the Center for New Directions in Politics and Public Policy at the University of Colorado at Den-
ver. Natalie and her husband, Matt, have a 2-year old son, Emmett.
Natalie O’Donnell Wood has been the NCSL liaison for the
Leadership Staff Section since January 2009. Natalie works
with the LSS Executive Committee (Chair, First Vice Chair,
Second Vice Chair, Immediate Past Chair, and 9 Directors),
providing advice and guidance to the Committee in executing its
responsibilities. The Executive Committee selects a site and
prepares the agenda for the annual LSS Professional Develop-
ment Seminar, calls special meetings, appoints subcommittees,
and determines the direction and actions of the Leadership Staff
Section. Natalie’s role is essential in performing these im-
portant duties.
Natalie spends the majority of her time as Program Principal
with the Center for Ethics in Government at NCSL. (See detailed
biographical information below about Natalie.)
CENTER FOR ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT Peggy Kerns, Director ¨ Natalie O'Donnell Wood, Program Principal
The Leadership Staff Section Executive Committee consists of a chair, a first vice-chair, a second vice-chair, an immediate past chair, and nine directors. Members of the LSS Executive Committee are elected by the general membership at the annual busi-ness meeting of the staff section. The LSS Executive Committee makes general decisions that guide the staff section, including planning the activities of the staff section. The LSS Executive Committee is responsible for setting the agenda for the annual Pro-fessional Development Seminar, publishing the staff section newsletter, maintaining communication with the NCSL Executive Committee, and conducting other business and special projects that arise.
Have you visited the LSS website lately? http://www.ncsl.org/Default.aspx?TabID=788&tabs=857,40,511#857
It’s the place to go for the most up-to-date information on the NCSL Leader-ship Staff Section. You’ll find meeting information/agendas, online registra-tion for meetings, newsletters, upcoming activities, contact information, and much, much more!
Would YOU like to serve on the LSS Executive Committee?
July 16, 2013
Dear Fellow Leadership Staffers and Friends:
The Nominations Committee of the NCSL Leadership Staff Section (LSS) is currently seeking candidates for the LSS Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is composed of 13 members—the LSS Chair, First Vice Chair, Second Vice Chair, and nine Directors elected by the membership, and the Immediate Past Chair.
Will you consider offering your time and talents to our great staff section by serving on the LSS Executive Committee? Elections will be held during our Business Meeting at our annual Professional Development Seminar in Denver, Colora-do, October 9-11, 2013.
Executive Committee members select a site and prepare the agenda for the annual LSS Professional Development Seminar, call special meetings of the full membership, appoint subcommittees and special committees, and determine the direction and actions of the Leadership Staff Section. LSS provides a forum for professional development for its members and interaction with counter-parts in legislatures across the country.
The ability for staff to travel for professional development is a critical issue in many states. NCSL and LSS recognize this and are continuously utilizing new methods of providing professional development for LSS members who are unable to travel. Even though participation in person is the preferred way to participate in LSS, it is not imperative that you attend every out-of-state meeting. The ability to travel is only one of many considerations used by the Nominations Committee when selecting candidates for the Executive Committee. Many past directors discovered that their election to the LSS Executive Committee opened the door to greater opportunities for travel.
To be considered for one of the Executive Committee positions, please e-mail me, as Chair of the Nominations Committee, your letter of intent. My contact information is listed below. If you have questions, please contact me by telephone or e-mail.
I look forward to seeing you in Denver in October!
Sincerely,
Nancy Butcher Administrative Assistant West Virginia House of Delegates 304-340-3341 [email protected]
Highlights of the 2012 LSS Professional Development Seminar
The 2012 LSS Professional Development Seminar was held jointly with LINCS, LSSS, NALIT, NLSSA and RACSS last October in Madison, Wisconsin.
Among many notable speakers was Janine Driver, president of the Body Language Insti-tute and New York Times Best Selling author of You Say More Than You Think (see summary on Page 16).
LSS attendees participated in a team building exercise hosted by Wildly Different from Or-lando, Florida. (see summary on Pages 17-18).
**Thanks to Natalie O’Donnell Wood, our LSS liai-son, for writing the summaries.
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Janine Driver, speaker, media guest, author, and president of the Body Language Institute, presented to attendees of the 2012 Super PDS, which included members of the Leadership Staff Section. Driver, a former federal law enforcement officer with the U.S. Justice Department, has spent years training other law enforcement officers to spot deception and read people’s nonverbal messages. In a dynamic and interactive session, she shared her insights and techniques with the legislative staff in at-tendance.
Driver challenged attendees to hone their “BS Barometers.” According to Driver, “the BS Barometer is a collection of your brain’s oldest instincts, long used to spot the virtues and ethics within others—and within ourselves.” People can strengthen their self-confidence with a strong Barometer, as it will enhance communication skills and better allow you to discern the true messages of others.
Driver’s message is that if we can accurately read the body language of others, it will help refine our Barometers and allow us to position ourselves with a communication advantage – be it in the workplace, with our friends, or with our family.
Attendees learned about several key body language positions, and what they can mean:
1. The chin hold (with your hand) – conveys intelligence, thoughtfulness and a calm outward appearance. 2. Steeple-ing (hands clasped with the two index fingers raised and touching) – signals power, authority, intelligence and
confidence. Driver cautions against using it if you are trying to establish rapport with someone, as it can appear arro-gant. She suggests using it at the end of an interaction.
3. Steeple-ing to basketball (pulling open clasped hands, keeping fingers slightly curved) – demonstrates compassion, power, likability. This move can be used during teambuilding, as it shows teammates that you care about them.
4. Crossed legs toward someone - this creates a “circle,” and signals to others, “you are important to me; you matter.” 5. Palm down/palm up – The former conveys aggression, disregard, and a sense that “I’m going to dismiss what you are
about to say.” The latter, or the “beggar’s pose,” shows openness, a willingness to listen, and that the speaker is “showing you everything.” This can build trust and rapport.
6. A few nonverbal signs can subtly show that a person is “giving away power.” These include a hooked index finger (or as Driver calls it, a “pacifier”) and touching your throat. This can demonstrate to others that you are holding back.
7. Confident people take up space. They pop their elbows, which expresses confidence, openness, and likeability, all which increase the likelihood that they’ll get what they want.
8. Driver outlined a body’s “power zones;” for instance, the neck dimple and the belly button. She shared that “we face our belly buttons toward people we like, admire and trust.” She suggests standing with hands behind the back rather than held tight and high in front. The latter conveys insecurity, the former opens up the power zones, which can im-prove public perception.
9. When it comes to standing, Driver suggests a wide stance, or “fat candle.” It shows dependability (but also may signal that someone is opinionated and difficult). Conversely, if you stand with feet less than six inches apart, it could signal that you may be a pushover. She cautioned against standing like Superman, however - with arms on the hips and a wide stance – which looks overly-confident.
10. In stressful situations, Driver recommends “body leveraging.” For instance, when someone is upset or emotional, you should not “Superman,” look down, or lean over people. To convey compassion, lower your body and sit to look up at the person. This indicates to someone that “you are important; you matter.”
11. Lastly, Driver discussed “mirroring,” which occurs when one’s body language reflects the other person in a conversa-tion. This also creates rapport and likeability.
Driver’s session taught attendees that we all say more than we think we do. And one of the best outcomes of the session was watching all of the attendees catching their colleagues in the act of “steeple-ing,” “fat candle-ing,” and chin-holding” throughout the conference. For more information about Janine Driver, visit http://www.lyintamer.com/bodylanguageinstitute.
Decoding Body Language Janine Driver, president of the Body Language Institute
Team Building – The Push for the Summit LSS was fortunate to have Lisa Jennings, a top-notch trainer with Wildly Different, based out of Orlando, Florida, as its team-building trainer in Madison. Wildly Different’s motto is “Play Outside the Cubicle,” and the company provides opportunities for groups to “play,” as their research shows it connects people, makes them more passionate about working toward common goals, and challenges them to use their skills in a way that ensures team success. The experience it gave to LSS attendees clearly demon-strated this philosophy. The group was treated to a three-hour exercise called, “The Push for the Summit,” a mountain climb-ing and race simulation. The group divided into two teams and each was given a series of 10 challenges that once completed, revealed clues that helped them traverse and climb the “mountain.” Attendees had to sift through word searches and decipher codes, all with an LSS or Wis-consin theme. Each team had the opportunity to score advantages over the other via multiple games that gave them clues to the challenges. While the race was neck and neck at times, one team inevitably emerged the victor. As reward, all were given gold medals for the win. After the fun and games were over, the full group reconvened to talk about lessons learned from the simulation. Through self-reflection and group analysis, attendees discussed the following questions: 1. Teams that completed challenges and clues first were rewarded. Is it better to be rewarded for being first, or is it better to take your time and do it right? 2. How did these rewards make you feel and what did you learn about the role rewards has in the workplace? 3. How did you tackle the challenges? For instance: • Did you strategize first, or did you simply "jump in?" • Did you all work together, or did you assign different roles? • In retrospect, what worked and what would you have done differently? 4. Did you tackle clues differently when they were trickled to you vs. when several were given to you all at once? 5. What did you learn about communicating with teammates from solving clues? For instance: • Did you talk out clue solutions, or work on them in your own head? • Were different points of view brought up / listened to? • What did solving clues teach you about how you solve problems in day-to-day life? 6. How did you react when you struggled with solving a clue? What did this teach you about the struggles you and your team face in day-to-day life? Jennings and Wildly Different did a fantastic job demonstrating that work in the legislature can be just as tense, dramatic, excit-ing, and rewarding as a mountain expedition. And our attendees showed that legislative staff members are well-equipped with the tools and inner strength to reach the loftiest of achievements.
“The Push for the Summit”
Lisa Jennings , Trainer
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Congratulations to our Team Building Winners!
Congratulations to our other Team Building Participants!
“The Push for the Summit”
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National Conference of State Legislatures
Leadership Staff Section
This year—Denver
Next year ?
Would you like to host the 2014 LSS Professional Development Seminar in your state?
Comments about this issue, suggestions, or articles for the next newsletter will be gladly received by the LSS Communications Committee. Contact the committee chair with your ideas. Janeen Halverson, Chair LSS Communications Committee Utah State Senate 801-538-1406 [email protected]
The National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories. NCSL offices are located in Washington D. C., and Denver, Colorado. Visit NCSL at www.ncsl.org.
NCSL Denver Office
M I S S I O N S T A T E M E N T
The National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan organization founded to:
1. Improve the quality and effectiveness of state legislatures; 2. Promote policy innovation and communication among state legislatures; 3. Ensure state legislatures a strong, cohesive voice in the federal system.
