Tri-College University provost Tim Flakoll has been selected as chair-elect (second vice president) of the Council of State Governments Midwest Legislative Conference. The announcement was made at the group’s annual conference held July 15-18 in Cleveland.

The organization is comprised of 11 Midwestern states and has four Canadian provinces as affiliated members. When combined, the members make up the fourth largest economy in the world.

As chair, Flakoll will preside at all meetings of the Midwest Legislative Conference and its executive committee.  He will be responsible for the appointment of officers for committees and the appointment of delegates to other intergovernmental groups seeking conference representation.  The chair also establishes annual conference goals and priorities and will be host of the conference’s annual meeting in 2015, when North Dakota will be the host state.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to more strategically lead the Midwest region with the spirit of collaboration and a shared focus on problem solving,” said Flakoll, who is a state senator from Fargo. “When the Midwest thrives it is good for North Dakota and the United States and I look forward to this leadership opportunity.”

Flakoll is provost of Tri-College University, which is a higher education collaboration between Concordia College, Minnesota State University Moorhead and NDSU.

The Council of State Governments was founded in 1933 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to improve state government. It encourages intergovernmental cooperation between the three branches of government. 

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.