McKee Named Chairman of National Lt. Governors Association
By Carmen Russo
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Lt. Governor Daniel J. McKee was named Chairman of the National
Lt. Governors Association (NLGA) last Friday morning at the group’s annual meeting
in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
As Chairman, Lt. Governor McKee will lead the association’s 17-person Executive
Committee in directing policy discussions and setting the group’s general business
agenda. He will also preside over a December 2016 meeting in Arizona, another in
Washington D.C. in March 2017 and a final summer 2017 meeting in Nashville,
Tennessee.
Lt. Governor McKee was elected Chair-Elect of the organization and Chairman of the
Policy Resolutions Committee in July 2015.
«As a first-term lieutenant governor, it is a tremendous honor to be selected by
leaders from across our nation to serve as Chair of the NLGA. This organization
embodies a principle that guides my work every day in the State of Rhode Island:
Together, we can do more,» said Lt. Governor McKee. «In the coming months, I look
forward to working with lieutenant governors from both parties and every region as
we collaborate to better serve our states.»
«Lt. Governor McKee was nominated to this position by a bi-partisan group of his
peers,» said NLGA Director Julia Hurst. «The NLGA unites lieutenant governors from
both sides of the aisle on common priorities. This is an important time to have
arenas where engaged leaders can come together, across party lines, to productively
discuss shared challenges and solutions.»
During the annual meeting, lieutenant governors discussed state-based best practices
for building regional economies, promoting tourism and supporting city resurgences.
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder outlined his experience with «Reinventing Michigan,» a
statewide initiative to create jobs and revitalize the state’s education system.
Justice Richard Bernstein, Michigan’s first blind Supreme Court Justice, shared his
ideas for expanding opportunities for individuals with disabilities in every state.
On the conference’s final day, Lt. Governor McKee’s Policy Resolutions Committee
passed resolutions addressing issues in healthcare, veterans affairs, economic
recovery and environmental sustainability.
The NLGA is a professional association enabling the nation’s lieutenant governors to
work together in developing policy to benefit constituents of all 50 states and
providing an opportunity to promote efficiency and effectiveness in the Office of
the Lt. Governor.