Speaker Welch Joins Edgar Fellows Conference as Keynote Speaker
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch delivered a keynote address to the 2024 Edgar Fellows class last week. As a former Edgar Fellow, Speaker Welch spoke about the importance of unity, civility, and letting passion be a guiding force.
“Becoming Speaker of the House was never where I thought my life would lead me, but I always knew that I was driven by a desire to help people,” Speaker Welch said in his address. “Every day I get to do this job, I know that I get to help people of the 7th district and all across Illinois. That is my passion; that is my ‘why.’ Staying focused on your passions, will lead you to great things.”
The Edgar Fellows Program, founded by former Illinois governor, Jim Edgar, was created to inspire respectful and collaborative leadership in Illinois. According to the website, it emphasizes the need to forthrightly address major policy issues without permitting partisan, ethnic, and regional rivalries to trump statesmanship. It is designed to influence attitudes and foster mutual understanding. It holds the promise of facilitating bipartisan and cross-regional cooperation as class participants––diverse in race, gender, political persuasion, and geography––assume more influential public leadership roles.
Speaker Welch was selected as an Edgar Fellow in 2016. He’s been invited by Governor Edgar to deliver a keynote address at the annual program each year since becoming Speaker of the House in 2021.
“It’s truly an honor to join Governor Edgar and the distinguished class of Edgar Fellows year after year,” said Speaker Welch. “Building our next generation of leaders is incredibly important and I’m grateful we have mentors like Governor Edgar who prioritize collaboration, integrity, and passion for service.”
Speaker Welch congratulates the 2024 Edgar Fellows and looks forward to seeing them do great things for the state of Illinois.
