Reception Marks Beginning of National Governors Association Anniversary Year

WASHINGTON—The nation's governors today kicked-off a celebration commemorating the National Governors Association's (NGA) 100th anniversary during a reception at the 2008 Winter Meeting. Nearly a century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt hosted the first meeting of the nation's governors at the White House to discuss conserving America's natural resources.

Following this inaugural meeting, governors decided to form an association through which they could come together to discuss mutual concerns and act collectively; this 1908 meeting marked the beginning of the annual governors' meetings. One hundred years later, NGA continues to serves as the collective voice of the nation's governors.

"It is an honor to serve as NGA chair during this momentous occasion," said NGA Chair Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. "In the 100 years since the first gathering at the White House, governors from across the nation have made their participation in NGA a focal point of their activities to help shape federal policy and develop innovative solutions on issues ranging from health care to education to our nation's energy future."

To commemorate this century of gubernatorial achievement, NGA is celebrating its centennial throughout 2008, culminating with a celebration during its Annual Meeting in Philadelphia this July.

"I am thrilled to host the NGA centennial celebration this summer in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania," said NGA Vice Chair Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell. "The city of Philadelphia is the perfect place to bring together current and former governors in a day of tribute to honor our past, celebrate our present and embrace our future."

During the evening reception, Governors Pawlenty and Rendell – joined by special guest President Theodore Roosevelt – unveiled covers for two books that will be available this summer. Working with the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and the University of Pennsylvania Press, NGA will publish two books that highlight gubernatorial leadership over the past 100 years. The books will be released at the Centennial Meeting in Philadelphia.

The first book, A Legacy of Leadership: Governors and American History, features sections authored by academics and journalists whose focus is on one decade with particular attention paid to governors' roles in those years. The second book, A Legacy of Innovation: Governors and Public Policy, features chapters written by academics and published historians whose focus is on public policy issues over the last 100 years, including economic development, education, health care and transportation.

To learn more about NGA's Centennial, visit www.nga.org/centennial.

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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.