Maryland First Lady Yumi Hogan to Stress Arts Education as Chair
The National Governors Association (NGA) has announced its Spouses Leadership Committee members for 2019-20.
Maryland First Lady Yumi Hogan will assume the role of chair of the Spouses Leadership Committee, and Hawai’i First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige will serve as vice chair. Other members are: Susan Hutchinson, First Lady of Arkansas; Donna Edwards, First Lady of Louisiana; Lauren Baker, First Lady of Massachusetts; and Lisa Bullock, First Lady of Montana.
“I am delighted and honored to serve as chair of the NGA Spouses’ Leadership Committee for the upcoming year,” said Mrs. Hogan. “It is a privilege to work with my fellow governors’ spouses to bring attention to issues we care about and help children and adults in need.”
“I look forward to serving alongside Mrs. Hogan as vice chair of the NGA Spouses’ Leadership Committee and continuing to work with my peers around the country,” said Mrs. Ige. Most governors’ spouses choose an area of focus to affect change within their state while their spouse serves as governor. Mrs. Hogan’s initiative will focus on arts education. During her tenure as Spouses’ Leadership Committee chair, she hopes to further pursue this cause while supporting her peers in their endeavors.
Initiatives of governors’ spouses who participate in the program vary greatly, from addressing family welfare and childhood hunger to combatting the stigma of addiction and advocating for the importance of historic preservation.
The National Governors Association Spouses’ Leadership Committee is composed of six governors’ spouses, two of whom serve as committee officers. The spouses of the NGA chair and vice chair are invited to serve as the Spouses’ Leadership Committee chair and vice chair, respectively. Four additional members — two Democrats and two Republicans — are elected from among the remaining spouses by ballot. Elections are held each year during the month preceding the NGA Summer Meeting.
The term of office of the chair, vice chair, and the elected committee members is one year. There is no limit on the number of terms a spouse may serve on this committee.
