Richfield Mayor Gonzalez Selected As 2019 Bush Fellow
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Richfield Mayor Maria Regan Gonzalez has been selected as a 2019 Bush Fellow, the Bush Foundation announced Wednesday.
"The fellowship will help me become a better leader, but more importantly, it will provide me with the necessary skills to empower other leaders in the community," Gonzalez said.
The Bush Foundation awards fellowships to leaders who seek to improve their communities by further developing their leadership skills. The fellowship awards up to $100,000 to its fellows in an effort to help them pursue learning experiences and explore new methods of leadership.
A total of 24 leaders were awarded the fellowship from across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and 23 Native Nations.
Gonzalez plans to use the award to find ways to create room for more voices in decision making. She'll study alternative models of governance and seek coaching to enhance her ability to unify diverse groups of people.
"It takes an entire community to exact lasting change," Gonzalez said. "I want to utilize collaborative leadership skills to help make what seems impossible, possible for the residents of Richfield."
