The Council of Governors held its 31st Plenary Meeting July 24, 2025, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in conjunction with the 2025 National Governors Association (NGA) Summer Meeting.
Council of Governors co-chairs North Carolina Governor Josh Stein and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin kicked off the meeting with opening remarks. The co-chairs were joined, in person and virtually, by Council members Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
After the co-chairs’ opening remarks, the Council focused on discussing the following topics:
- Strategic Guidelines for the Defense Fiscal Year 2026 Program Build
- Domestic Threat from Unmanned Aircraft Systems
- Department of Defense Priorities related to the National Guard
- Federal Collaboration with State and Local Authorities onPublic Safety
- State-Federal Coordination and Consultation on Disaster Response
The meeting also included in-progress reviews from the Council’s working groups, with Louisianna Governor Jeff Landry, Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer leading discussions about the task forces’ work on issues related to workforce, cybersecurity and military matters.
Meeting participants included Adjutants Generals from multiple states as well as representatives from the White House, Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security, including (listed in speaking order):
- M. Roosevelt Ditlevson, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs and Executive Director of the Council of Governors
- Victoria Barton, Counselor to the Secretary, Department of Homeland Security
- Alex Meyer, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
- Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/DoD Chief Financial Officer
- Gen. Steven Nordhaus, Chief of the National Guard Bureau
- Steven A. Willoughby, Deputy Director, Department of Homeland Security’s Counter-UAS Program
- Matthew Whitehead, Director for Counterterrorism, National Security Council
- Madison Sheahan, Deputy Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Brian Cavanaugh, Associate Director for Homeland Security, White House Office of Management and Budget
- Dr. Madhu Gottumukkala, Acting Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
- Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, Commander, United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command
The bipartisan Council of Governors was established by Section 1822 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 and implemented by Presidential Executive Order 13528 in 2010. It includes 10 Governors who work with federal officials to address issues relating to the National Guard; national security; homeland defense; and disaster preparedness, response and recovery.
