State Rep. Haraz N. Ghanbari Selected for Prestigious Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership
State Rep. Haraz N. Ghanbari (R-Perrysburg) has been selected for the prestigious Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership’s cohort. Ghanbari, who was appointed in March 2019 to the Ohio House of Representatives and is serving his first full term after being elected in November 2020, was nominated by Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
“It was an honor to be nominated by our Secretary of State Frank LaRose and I am looking forward to participating in this bipartisan two-year fellowship with 21 other colleagues from across the United States including secretaries of state, state legislators, mayors, an attorney general and other elected officials,” Ghanbari said.
The nomination and selection process are based on outstanding qualifications and a demonstrated commitment to public service, professional integrity and intellectual curiosity. Speaker of the Ohio House Bob Cupp commended Ghanbari on his designation.
“Being named a Rodel Fellow exemplifies Representative Ghanbari’s outstanding current service as a state legislator and highlights his potential for future leadership in public service,” Cupp said. “Haraz’s energetic leadership and sincere dedication to the constituents he represents in the Ohio House of Representatives has been exemplary, and he will continue to make a positive impact in the future.”
The Fellowship is a program of the Rodel Leadership Institute (RLI), an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit organization. Building upon fifteen years as a program at the Aspen Institute, RLI was created in 2021 to strengthen democracy and improve the quality of public leadership in the United States. RLI helps America’s most promising leaders reach their full potential as public servants, deepen their commitment to democracy and the rule of law, and work together to address some of our nation’s most important domestic and international challenges.
“I would be hard-pressed to think of anyone more deserving or more qualified to serve as a Rodel Fellow than Representative Haraz Ghanbari,” LaRose said. “He is a thoughtful and widely respected legislative leader who serves his district with the same sense of honor, seriousness, and professionalism that he exudes in his service to our nation as a veteran and a U.S. Navy Reservist. I was proud to nominate him for the fellowship, and I congratulate Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership for becoming even stronger by bringing Representative Ghanbari into its remarkable program.”
Previous 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.