20080223 National Governors Association Welcomes Governors to 2008 Winter Meeting

20080223 National Governors Association Welcomes Governors to 2008 Winter Meeting

02/23/2008 News Release NGA Welcomes Governors to 2008 Winter Meeting

Governors to Focus on Clean Energy, State and Federal Issues

Contact: Jodi Omear, 202-345-6564
Contact: Christopher Cashman, 202-345-4271

WASHINGTON—The nation's governors gather here this weekend to address critical issues including the nation's energy future. Governors also will meet with President Bush, members of the Administration, business executives and other experts for discussions on a host of issues and challenges facing states.

Led by NGA Chair Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and NGA Vice Chair Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell, business sessions at the three-day event will include two major plenaries and meetings of the four NGA standing committees. The NGA Winter Meeting will run from February 23-25, at the J.W. Marriott Hotel.

Gov. Pawlenty's Chair's initiative, Securing a Clean Energy Future, is the primary topic of discussion today. This morning's opening plenary session will present the case for taking immediate action on this important public policy challenge. Pulitzer-Prize winning author and New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman and Jeffrey R. Immelt, chairman of the board and chief operating officer of General Electric Company, will speak at the session.

"Our country has become too dependent on foreign sources of energy, and continuing on a business-as-usual path risks our national security, our economic well-being and our quality of life," Gov. Pawlenty said. "My Chair's initiative, Securing a Clean Energy Future, enlists the efforts of all governors to make our nation a global leader in energy efficiency, clean energy technology, energy research and the use of alternative fuels."

The second plenary session on Monday afternoon, "The Role of Technology and Innovation in Securing a Clean Energy Future," will feature addresses by former CIA Director R. James Woolsey and John Doerr, a partner with Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers. The session will highlight new and current energy technologies as well explore state and private sector roles in fostering energy innovation.

In addition, governors will take part in meetings of each of NGA's four standing committees: Economic Development and Commerce; Education, Early Childhood and Workforce; Health and Human Services; and Natural Resources.

Private "governors-only" sessions, including a meeting with President Bush at the White House, provide governors a venue for sharing their thoughts and views on common challenges. "As governors, we face many similar issues and can learn a great deal from candid dialogue with our colleagues," said Gov. Rendell. "The NGA Winter Meeting provides governors with the opportunity to exchange ideas and engage in thoughtful discussions about shared policy challenges and effective solutions."

The Winter Meeting will close Monday evening with a reception kicking off NGA's centennial celebration at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

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Founded in 1908, the National Governors Association (NGA) is the collective voice of the nation's governors and one of Washington, D.C.'s most respected public policy organizations. Its members are the governors of the 50 states, three territories and two commonwealths. NGA provides governors and their senior staff members with services that range from representing states on Capitol Hill and before the Administration on key federal issues to developing and implementing innovative solutions to public policy challenges through the NGA Center for Best Practices. For more information, visit www.nga.org.

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Printed from the NGA web site.

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