Lieutenant governors from around the country descended on Indiana this week for a national conference.
Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann says the event can be a valuable tool to share best practices and even prepare for higher office.
Ellspermann says the National Lieutenant Governors Association was first conference she attended after taking office.
She says its annual meetings are an important opportunity to meet with a strong group of bipartisan colleagues, sharing ideas and promoting causes.
"Every time I go to a conference, I pick up one or two or three or five new ideas and programs, ways to augment what we're doing here in the state of Indiana," Ellspermann says.
Resolutions at the Indiana meeting include measures to encourage CPR education in schools, improve youth mentoring, and support Alzheimer's research.
And Ellspermann says the conferences can be an important building block.
"There will be more lieutenant governors become governor than any other group of elected officials, so it is a training ground," she says.
In addition to hosting this year's conference, Ellspermann also serves as the national association's Midwest regional chair.