The Rodel Institute is pleased to announce the selection and first meeting of the 2026 Class of Rodel Fellows. The Class of 2026 includes 22 state and local officials from across the country and divided equally between the political parties. Rodel Fellows are selected from a highly competitive pool of nominees for their commitment to public service, professional integrity, and intellectual curiosity.

The Class of 2026 gathered in Southern California for their first seminar on Principled Leadership last month. Fellows read and discussed foundational texts from a range of thinkers including Aristotle, Niccolò Machiavelli, Immanuel Kant, Edmund Burke, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexis de Tocqueville, among others. Rodel’s Vice President Jeff King led a leadership workshop on strategies for sustaining public service. Additionally, Washington University’s Rebecca Hollander-Blumoff and Southern Illinois University’s Sheila Simon moderated vibrant discussions on religion and politics and ethical leadership.

Since its founding in 2005, the Rodel Fellowship has helped more than 425 state and local elected officials reach their full potential as public servants. These Fellows have gone on to serve as United States senators, governors, mayors, party leaders, Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, and Vice President of the United States.

For more information, please visit www.rodelinstitute.org/programs/rodel-fellowship.