# Two Omaha senators chosen for prestigious Midwest leadership program  
**Published:** 2026-06-08T19:53:55.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-lawmakers-chosen-for-nonpartisan-fellowship-for-midwest-political-leaders/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/two-omaha-senators-chosen-for-prestigious-midwest-leadership-program

Two Nebraska state senators have been selected for a competitive regional leadership fellowship, the [Nebraska Examiner reports](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-lawmakers-chosen-for-nonpartisan-fellowship-for-midwest-political-leaders/).

[State Sen. Margo Juarez](https://margojuareznelegislature.com/about-margo) and [State Sen. Dunixi Guereca](https://stand4schools.org/about/board-of-directors/), both representing Omaha, are among 39 lawmakers chosen to participate in the [Council of State Governments' 31st annual Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development](https://csgmidwest.org/BILLD/). The pair will join fellow legislators July 17-21 in Madison, Wisconsin, for the five-day intensive training program.

The selection process is competitive and nonpartisan, drawing participants from 11 Midwestern states and four Canadian provinces. [Juarez, who assumed office in January 2025](https://ballotpedia.org/Margo_Juarez), represents District 5, while [Guereca, also elected in 2024](https://ballotpedia.org/Dunixi_Guereca), represents District 7. Both are Democrats serving in Nebraska's officially nonpartisan 49-member Legislature.

The institute aims to develop leadership skills and policy analysis capabilities for legislators early in their careers. [The program is designed for Midwestern legislators in their first four years of service](https://csgmidwest.org/BILLD/), offering curriculum on contemporary policy challenges including economic development, public safety and regional issues.

[The institute was founded in 1995](https://csgmidwest.org/BILLD/) to address increased policy responsibilities being shifted to states and challenges posed by term limits and legislative turnover. Since its inception, [more than 1,000 lawmakers have graduated](https://csgmidwest.org/2026/01/13/newer-legislators-can-apply-for-billd-fellowship-through-april-13/) from the program, including notable Nebraska alumni U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer and U.S. Reps. Mike Flood and Adrian Smith, who participated when serving in the state legislature.

Iowa Sen. Amy Sinclair, co-chair of the institute's steering committee, called BILLD ["one of the premier leadership training programs designed exclusively for Midwestern legislators."](https://csgmidwest.org/BILLD/)

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-lawmakers-chosen-for-nonpartisan-fellowship-for-midwest-political-leaders/)
- [Council of State Governments Midwest - Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development](https://csgmidwest.org/BILLD/)
- [Margo Juarez official website - About Margo](https://margojuareznelegislature.com/about-margo)
- [Ballotpedia - Margo Juarez](https://ballotpedia.org/Margo_Juarez)
- [Ballotpedia - Dunixi Guereca](https://ballotpedia.org/Dunixi_Guereca)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-lawmakers-chosen-for-nonpartisan-fellowship-for-midwest-political-leaders/.