HAWAIʻI REPRESENTATIVE AMY A. PERRUSO NAMED TO 2025 CSG HENRY TOLL FELLOWSHIP CLASS

Lexington, Kentucky – The Council of State Governments (CSG) has named Hawaiʻi Representative Amy A. Perruso among the 48 public servants from 34 states and U.S. territories selected to the 2025 class of the CSG Henry Toll Fellowship, the nation’s premier leadership development program for state government officials. Representing all three branches of state government, the selected Toll Fellows will gather in Lexington, Kentucky, August 8-12 for the program’s 38th convening.

“I’m deeply honored to be selected for the Toll Fellowship and grateful for the chance to grow alongside dedicated public servants from across the country,” said Representative Perruso (District 46 - Portion of Waipi‘o Acres, Launani Valley, Wahiawa, Whitmore Village, Waialua, Mokule‘ia). “In this moment, when our communities are facing such complex and urgent challenges, I’m hopeful that this experience will help me become a more effective collaborator and advocate for the people of Hawai‘i.”

A nationally recognized former social studies teacher with a doctorate in political science, Rep. Perruso has served Hawaiʻi’s 46th District since 2019. She is the House Majority Whip, Vice Chair of the Energy and Environmental Protection Committee, member of the Agriculture and Finance Committees, and former chair of the Higher Education Committee. From 1990-92, Perruso was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Helsinki in Finland, where she taught seminars on gender and social theory. Prior to her election to state office, she served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association.

Across the states, there are more than 1,400 graduates of the Toll Fellowship, including three sitting governors, three sitting lieutenant governors, five sitting secretaries of state, two sitting attorneys general, two sitting state treasurers, two sitting Senate presidents, four sitting state/territorial House speakers, seven sitting Supreme Court justices and more than 230 current state/territorial legislators.

“The challenges facing today's state leaders are daunting and the pace of change is accelerating,” said CSG Executive Director/CEO David Adkins, a former Kansas state senator and 1993 CSG Henry Toll Fellow alumnus. “Now, more than ever, our nation needs state leaders who know how to bring people together to get stuff done. The CSG Toll Fellows are among our nation's best leaders. I hope this program helps empower them to deliver results for the citizens they serve.”

Since 1986, CSG has welcomed a new class of CSG Henry Toll Fellows to its community of state elected and appointed officials for this immersive five-day training. Program sessions equip Toll Fellows to communicate, collaborate, and lead more effectively — while fostering lasting, nonpartisan relationships.

Toll Fellows are selected through a competitive process led by program alumni, with nominations submitted by peers. Those selected participate in “graduate-level” programming that builds on CSG regional leadership development efforts.

The Fellowship honors CSG founder Henry Toll, a former Colorado state senator who was the driving force behind the organization’s creation in 1933. For more information on the CSG Henry Toll Fellowship, visit csgovts.info/tolls or email toll@csg.org.

About The Council of State Governments

The Council of State Governments is our nation’s only organization serving all three branches of state government. CSG is a region-based forum that fosters the exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials shape public policy. This offers unparalleled regional, national and international opportunities to network, develop leaders, collaborate and create problem-solving partnerships.

For more information about The Council of State Governments, visit csg.org.

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