Jacks is selected as one of only forty 2009 Henry Toll Fellows

A relatively new Vancouver lawmaker has already been tapped to join an elite group of the nation’s emerging legislative leaders.

State Rep. Jim Jacks is one of 40 state leaders from across the nation selected for membership in the prestigious 2009 Toll Fellows Program. The national program is sponsored by the Council of State Governments.

Named in honor of Henry Toll, a Colorado legislator who founded CSG back in 1933, the Toll Fellows Program helps develop the next generation of leaders from the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the nation’s state governments. The 2009 Toll Fellows Program will be held this September in Kentucky. The program will focus on trends analysis, policy development, media and constituent relations, and leadership and institutional changes.

“It’s a tremendous honor to represent our region and Washington state in this program,” said Jacks. “I’ll have an opportunity to learn from leaders from around the country about how they solve problems in their communities and states.”

The Clark County lawmaker was selected by a panel of state leaders on the look-out for the most-promising emerging leaders of state government. This year’s applicants included officials from all three government branches, representing 40 states and two U.S. territories. Past Toll Fellowship graduates include governors, U.S. senators and representatives, and leaders in state government. The first-term lawmaker was nominated by state Rep. Jeff Morris. He was endorsed by state Reps. Sam Hunt and Larry Springer.

Jacks is an Assistant House Majority Whip. He is also a member of the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee, the House Capital Budget Committee, and the House Technology, Energy & Communications Committee. A former citizen-advocate for the City of Vancouver, Jacks also served as Gov. Chris Gregoire’s representative in southwestern Washington. He established the Clark County Juvenile Court’s Victim-Offender Mediation program, and he currently works in business development for the engineering, surveying and planning firm of MacKay & Sposito.

Having joined 146 colleagues in wrapping up the 2009 legislative session back in April, Jacks is glad to be back home from the state capital these days in America’s Vancouver.