National Governors Association

President Barack Obama answers questions from the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room of the White House, Feb. 22, 2010.

The National Governors Association (NGA), founded in 1908 as the National Governors' Conference,^[1] is funded primarily by state dues, federal grants and contracts and private contributions.^[2] NGA represents the governors of the fifty U.S. states and five U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).

NGA serves as a key public policy liaison between the state governments and the federal government. NGA provides governors and their senior staff members with services that range from representing states on Capitol Hill and at the White House when discussing federal issues to developing policy reports on state programs and hosting networking seminars for state executive branch officials. The NGA Center for Best Practices focuses on state innovations and best practices on issues that range from education and health to technology, welfare reform, and the environment. NGA also provides management and technical assistance to both new and incumbent governors.

NGA has adopted a policy in 1977 formalizing its standard practice for many years: The position of NGA chair alternates yearly between Republican and Democratic governors, so that neither party can control the position for two consecutive years. The vice chair is usually of the opposite party to the chair, and generally assumes the role of chair the following year. The current NGA chair is Governor Dave Heineman of Nebraska, a Republican. The vice chair is Governor Jack Markell of Delaware, a Democrat.

Bill Clinton is, to date, the only former chair of the organization to become President of the United States.

Chairs

Chairs preside for a one-year term and alternate party affiliation:^[3]

2011–12 Dave Heineman, Nebraska, R 2010–11 Christine Gregoire, Washington, D 2010 Joe Manchin, West Virginia, D 2009–10 Jim Douglas, Vermont, R 2008–09 Ed Rendell, Pennsylvania, D 2007–08 Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota, R 2006–07 Janet Napolitano, Arizona, D (1st woman to chair) 2005–06 Mike Huckabee, Arkansas, R 2004–05 Mark Warner, Virginia, D 2003–04 Dirk Kempthorne, Idaho, R 2002–03 Paul E. Patton, Kentucky, D 2001–02 John Engler, Michigan, R 2000–01 Parris N. Glendening, Maryland, D 1999–00 Michael O. Leavitt, Utah, R 1998–99 Thomas R. Carper, Delaware, D 1997–98 George V. Voinovich, Ohio, R 1996–97 Bob Miller, Nevada, D 1995–96 Tommy G. Thompson, Wisconsin, R 1994–95 Howard Dean, Vermont, D 1993–94 Carroll A. Campbell, Jr., South Carolina, R 1992–93 Roy Romer, Colorado, D 1991–92 John Ashcroft, Missouri, R 1990–91 Booth Gardner, Washington, D 1989–90 Terry E. Branstad, Iowa, R 1988–89 Gerald L. Baliles, Virginia, D 1987–88 John H. Sununu, New Hampshire, R 1986–87 Bill Clinton, Arkansas, D 1985–86 Lamar Alexander, Tennessee, R 1984–85 John W. Carlin, Kansas, D 1983–84 James R. Thompson, Illinois, R 1982–83 Scott M. Matheson, Utah, D 1981–82 Richard A. Snelling, Vermont, R 1980–81 George Busbee, Georgia, D 1979–80 Otis R. Bowen, Indiana, R 1978–79 Julian M. Carroll, Kentucky, D 1977–78 William G. Milliken, Michigan, R 1977 Reubin O'Donovan Askew, Florida, D 1976–77 Cecil D. Andrus, Idaho, D 1975–76 Robert D. Ray, Iowa, R 1974–75 Calvin L. Rampton, Utah, D 1973–74 Daniel J. Evans, Washington, R 1972–73 Marvin Mandel, Maryland, D 1971–72 Arch A. Moore, Jr., West Virginia, R 1970–71 Warren E. Hearnes, Missouri, D 1969–70 John A. Love, Colorado, R 1968–69 Buford Ellington, Tennessee, D 1967–68 John A. Volpe, Massachusetts, R

1966–67 William L. Guy, North Dakota, D–NPL 1965–66 John H. Reed, Maine, R 1964–65 Grant Sawyer, Nevada, D 1963–64 John Anderson, Jr., Kansas, R 1962–63 Albert D. Rosellini, Washington, D 1961–62 Wesley Powell, New Hampshire, R 1960–61 Stephen McNichols, Colorado, D 1959–60 J. Caleb Boggs, Delaware, R 1958–59 LeRoy Collins, Florida, D 1957–58 William G. Stratton, Illinois, R 1956–57 Thomas B. Stanley, Virginia, D 1955–56 Arthur B. Langlie, Washington, R 1954–55 Robert F. Kennon, Louisiana, D 1953–54 Daniel I.J. Thornton, Colorado, R 1952–53 Allan Shivers, Texas, D 1951–52 Val Peterson, Nebraska, R 1950–51 Frank J. Lausche, Ohio, D 1949–50 Frank Carlson, Kansas, R 1949 William P. Lane, Jr., Maryland, D 1948 Lester C. Hunt, Wyoming, D 1947–48 Horace A. Hildreth, Maine, R 1946–47 Millard F. Caldwell, Florida, D 1945–46 Edward Martin, Pennsylvania, R 1944–45 Herbert B. Maw, Utah, D 1943–44 Leverett Saltonstall, Massachusetts, R 1942–43 Herbert R. O'Conor, Maryland, D 1941–42 Harold E. Stassen, Minnesota, R 1940–41 William H. Vanderbilt III, Rhode Island, R 1939–40 Lloyd C. Stark, Missouri, D 1937–39 Robert L. Cochran, Nebraska, D 1936–37 George C. Peery, Virginia, D 1934–36 Paul V. McNutt, Indiana, D 1933–34 James Rolph, California, R 1932–33 John G. Pollard, Virginia, D 1930–32 Norman S. Case, Rhode Island, R 1928–30 George H. Dern, Utah, D 1927–28 Adam McMullen, Nebraska, R 1925–27 Ralph Owen Brewster, Maine, R 1924–25 E. Lee Trinkle, Virginia, D 1922–24 Channing H. Cox, Massachusetts, R 1919–22 William C. Sproul, Pennsylvania, R 1919 Henry J. Allen, Kansas, R 1918 Emerson C. Harrington, Maryland, D 1916–17 Arthur Capper, Kansas, R 1915–16 William Spry, Utah, R 1914–15 David I. Walsh, Massachusetts, D 1911–14 Francis E. McGovern, Wisconsin, R 1910 Augustus E. Willson, Kentucky, R

Equivalent organizations

Several other countries, including Japan and Canada, have similar organizations:

• Canada – Council of the Federation.
• Australia – Council of Australian Governments (COAG) (unlike the NGA and the Council of the Federation, the COAG also includes representatives of the federal government.)

References

1. ^ Robert D. Behn, Governors on Governing, University Press of America, 1991 ISBN 0-8191-7891-8, p. 185.
2. ^ FAQ National Governors Association website, "How is NGA funded?". Retrieved March 4, 2008.
3. ^ "Historical Timeline". National Governors Association Centennial. http://www.subnet.nga.org/centennial/timeline/. Retrieved 2008-10-27. 

External links

• National Governors Association – official homepage of the American NGA.