Updates from the NGA Membership Team for April 2025. For more about the programs below and a list of upcoming events please email NGA at: membership@nga.org.
April Spotlight
NGA recently held a convening for Governors’ Schedulers, Executive Assistants, Residence Managers and First Spouses’ Staff in Oklahoma City. The meeting offered the Governors’ staff members who serve in these roles the opportunity to share best practices with their colleagues from other states and territories.
During the convening, Oklahoma First Lady Sarah Stitt welcomed the group to the Oklahoma Governor’s Mansion. Mrs. Stitt expressed appreciation for the group’s dedication to public service and stressed that Governors and First Spouses could not serve the people in their states and territories without the dedicated service and hard work of Governors’ Schedulers, Executive Assistants, Residence Managers and First Spouses’ staff members.
Coinciding with the convening for Governors’ staff, NGA also hosted its second annual retreat for First Spouses. Mrs. Stitt welcomed (pictured above) Indiana First Lady Maureen Braun, North Carolina First Lady Anna Stein, South Dakota First Lady Sandy Rhoden and Utah First Lady Abby Cox to the retreat. The First Spouses had the opportunity to get an up-close view of the work and initiatives Mrs. Stitt has been leading in Oklahoma, including learning more about developing a foundation; maintaining strategic partnerships with nonprofit, business and government partners; funding initiatives; and coordinating work with the Governor’s Office and Governor’s Mansion staff. The retreat also included special visits to the Mabel Bassett Correctional Facility and the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
NGA thanks NGA Vice Chair Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and Mrs. Stitt, along with their staff members and the Oklahoma Governor’s Mansion team, for their considerable hospitality. NGA also thanks the First Spouses and Governors’ staff members who participated in the retreat and convening.
Chair’s Initiative
NGA Releases Publication Highlighting Governors’ Top Education Priorities in 2025 State of the State Addresses
NGA and the Education Commission of the States (ECS) have collaborated to release the report “Governors’ Top Education Priorities.” The new report highlights seven of the top education policy topics mentioned in Governors’ 2025 State of the State or Territory addresses. This year marks the sixth year that ECS and NGA have collaborated on this project. To date, 49 Governors have given 2025 State of the State addresses. Read the report here.
Communications
NGA Issues Statement on Fire at Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence
NGA Chair Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Vice Chair Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt issued this statement regarding the Sunday fire at the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s remarks can be watched here.
Governor Polis Touts Governors’ Education Priorities in Washington Post
NGA Chair Colorado Governor Jared Polis penned a Letter-to-the-Editor in response to the Washington Post column “Why not get rid of grades?”. In the letter, Governor Polis highlights his Let’s Get Ready initiative and ways Governors work together on a bipartisan basis to improve education outcomes. Read the letter here.
Government Relations
Public Health and Disaster Response Task Force Request Representation of Governors on FEMA Agency Review Council
Hawai‘i Governor Josh Green and Vermont Governor Phil Scott, co-chairs of the NGA Public Health and Disaster Response Task Force, wrote a letter to President Donald Trump requesting the bipartisan representation of Governors as members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Review Council. Read the letter here.
NGA Leads Congressional Briefing
NGA’s Economic Development and Revitalization Task Force and the Environmental Council of the States recently hosted a Congressional briefing to educate Congressional staff, Administration officials, and other stakeholders on the environmental and economic priorities of states and territories.
The briefing featured: Rick Kessler, Director of the Land and Materials Administration for Maryland’s Department of the Environment; Cody Sims, Director of Federal Affairs for South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster; Geoff Smith, Federal Affairs for NGA Vice Chair Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt; and Preston Weyland, Deputy Director of Federal Affairs for Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
The panel highlighted the Task Force’s 2025 federal priorities, specifically protecting water resources and clean water, accelerating infrastructure project delivery and streamlining permitting, and ensuring the federal government meets its already committed obligations for federally funded projects.
A detailed summary of the briefing can be found here.
Center for Best Practices
NGA Releases Publication on Skills-Based Hiring Practices in Arizona & Colorado
In a recent joint meeting between NGA’s Skills in the States Community of Practice and Opportunity at Work’s Transformers in the Public Sector cohort, two trailblazing states, Arizona and Colorado, shared their innovative strategies for implementing skills-based hiring practices. Read more here.
NGA Leads Winter Workforce Development Policy Institute, Releases Overview of Meeting
NGA recently held the 2025 Winter Workforce Development Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. The convening focused on a number of timely topics, including equipping workers with the tools required for an AI-powered economy as well as reaching and serving rural communities. A written summary of the meeting can be found here.
NGA Releases Playbook for Responding to Energy Emergencies
NGA released a playbook to help support Governors and state energy officials in developing communications strategies to respond to energy emergencies. The playbook outlines guidance and best practices to help state and territory leaders develop strategic plans and processes to coordinate response efforts and communicate effectively with response teams and the public during an emergency that impacts energy production or delivery.
NGA Highlights Projects to Support Maternal and Child Health
NGA released a new publication detailing projects NGA launched to support a set of states and territories in strengthening their healthcare workforce and improving maternal and child health. Learn more here.
NGA Releases Report on Turning WIOA Challenges into Workforce Solutions
NGA collaborated with the Project on Workforce to conduct in-depth interviews with Governors’ workforce development policy advisors in 34 states and technical surveys of workforce administrators in 17 states. The findings are detailed in a new publication that explores how Governors are leveraging Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding and other policies to design, fund, and implement workforce development strategies in an evolving economic landscape. Read the report here.
Governors Making the Grade on Infrastructure
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently released their 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, showing an overall grade improvement from C- to C. NGA Vice Chair Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and Maryland Governor Wes Moore provided video messages for the ASCE report card launch event, and a member of NGA’s staff spoke at the event to highlight work Governors are leading to address permitting reform. Read more here.
NGA Highlights Governors’ Focus on Infrastructure Investments
NGA released the publication “Building for Tomorrow: Governors Showcase Infrastructure Investment in State of the State Addresses” to detail examples of some of the infrastructure related policies Governors have highlighted in their 2025 State of the State addresses. Infrastructure investment has remained a top priority for many Governors, and common themes emerging from this year’s remarks include the importance of infrastructure investment in supporting long-term economic growth, sustainability and quality of life for future generations. Read more here.
Monthly Member Update
Governors Lead Response Efforts to Recent Natural Disasters
In recent weeks, many states and Americans have been impacted by severe storms, including wildfires, tornadoes and flooding. Governors continue to lead response efforts, and their websites and social media channels offer the latest updates as well as information about resources and recovery efforts. Below are recent posts Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee have shared about ongoing response efforts in their states. NGA maintains this resource linking to all Governors’ official websites and social media sites.
April in Photos
NGA routinely shares photos of Governors at work. A sampling of this past month’s photo highlights follows.
ABOVE: Top Row (L to R): Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer and Idaho Governor Brad Little
Middle Row (L to R): New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and Maryland Governor Wes Moore
Bottom Row (L to R): South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein and Alabama Governor Kay Ivey
