WASHINGTON—On Sunday, Feb. 26, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad will receive an award for his service as the nation’s longest-serving governor ever at the National Governors Association (NGA) Winter Meeting.
“On behalf of my NGA colleagues, I am honored to recognize Gov. Branstad for his more than two decades of outstanding service to the great state of Iowa,” NGA Chair Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said. “From economic development and job creation, to government efficiency and education reform, Gov. Branstad has improved countless Iowans’ lives with a passion and commitment that will be nearly impossible to match. We wish him the very best as he takes on his new role as U.S. Ambassador to China.”
“I’m humbled and honored to be recognized by the National Governors Association,” said Gov. Branstad. “It’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve my fellow citizens as Governor of Iowa. NGA is a great bipartisan organization that I’ve had the privilege to participate in and chair. Chris and I were also honored to host the 2016 NGA summer meeting in Iowa. My family and I will cherish the many friendships of governors and their families from around the country. As I transition to become U.S. Ambassador to China, I have full confidence that the NGA will continue to be a collective voice for the nation’s governors’ interests in Washington, D.C. Pending Senate confirmation, I look forward to welcoming our nation’s governors to China.”
Gov. Branstad first served as Iowa governor from 1983 to 1999. He then took office in 2011 and was re-elected in 2014. Gov. Branstad served as the 1989-1990 chair of NGA. Since 2013, he has served on the NGA Executive Committee, the bipartisan nine-member leadership committee that guides the association’s activities. He has also served on the Council of Governors, which advises the federal government on homeland security issues, since 2011. Last summer, Gov. Branstad and his wife, Chris, hosted the 2016 NGA Summer Meeting in Des Moines.
The NGA Winter Meeting will be held in Washington, D.C., Feb. 24-27. For a full agenda, click here.
