Strickland named chair of Midwestern Governors Association, co-chair of Council of Great Lakes Governors
Lead Summary
By
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Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland was officially named chairman of the Midwestern Governors Association (MGA) and the Council of Great Lakes Governors, during meetings in Washington, D.C., for the National Governors’ Association.
Strickland was named chair at MGA’s winter meeting, and will serve in this role until February 2011.
Strickland's agenda, Midwest Jobs: Training Workers and Investing in Businesses for the New Energy Economy, will build on the previous regional efforts to foster economic growth and opportunities for the Midwest in the new energy economy.
He replaces Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who focused her agenda on Creating and Retaining Jobs in the New Energy Economy.
"As a region, the Midwest must determine how to best open up credit markets for mid-sized and smaller advanced energy companies," Strickland said. "As we cast off our reputation as the 'Rust Belt,' we must capitalize on the entrepreneurial spirit and strong work ethic of Midwesterners to expand our energy economy. Our region has the resources and potential to move this nation forward."
Strickland will focus his agenda on two objectives. The first will be increasing investment capital opportunities for Midwestern businesses. The Midwest has enormous energy resources to lead the nation in the new energy economy, as well as a strong manufacturing and agribusiness base. To fully realize this potential, substantial efforts must be taken to identify and create new opportunities to bring funding to the region.
The second objective of Strickland's agenda is to ensure the region's workers have the necessary skills for advanced energy jobs. Building a skilled workforce is an essential component of any state or regional effort to attract capital and businesses to the region, and Strickland will work to identify areas in which states can collaborate on a regional basis in order to meet workforce demands.
The Midwestern Governors Association (MGA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that brings together the governors of Midwestern states to work cooperatively on public policy issues of significance to the region. In addition to Strickland, the current members of the MGA are Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Iowa Gov. Chet Culver, Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds and Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle.
More information is available at http://www.midwesterngovernors.org/.
Council of Great Lakes Governors
Strickland was also elected as co-chair of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, joining Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle. His role as co-chair will be spearheading the Council’s efforts to protect the Great Lakes and invigorate the region’s economy.
“I am eager to roll up my sleeves and help lead the Council with Governor Doyle,” Strickland said. “Our work together has never been more important – creating jobs in the Great Lakes states and protecting the most important freshwater resource on the planet.”
In the coming months the co-chairs will help lead the Great Lakes governors’ collective efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes, including
combating Asian Carp and invasive species, and maintaining the exports and
regional tourism of the lakes.
At the Council of Great Lakes Governors’ meeting today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson released an Action Plan to guide the Obama Administration’s historic efforts to restore the Great
Lakes. The Action Plan lays out the most urgent threats facing the Great
Lakes and sets out goals, objectives and key actions over the next five
years to help restore the Lakes.
“The Great Lakes are one of our country’s greatest natural resources and
economic assets,” Strickland said. “We must protect and preserve our lakes
for our families and outdoors enthusiasts, as well as the industries that
rely on the waterways to transport their goods around the world. I look
forward to working with my fellow governors and the Obama Administration to
continue tackling the challenges facing the Great Lakes now and in the
future.”
Strickland has made preventing the spread of Asian carp and the introduction
of new invasive species a top priority. He has called for the
reintroduction of federal ballast water legislation that would protect the
Great Lakes and prevent the introduction of new invasive species.
While Asian carp are an immediate threat, a majority of aquatic invasive
species that cost millions to control and eradicate are introduced through
ballast water exchanges of oceangoing vessels that enter the Great Lakes
through the St. Lawrence Seaway.
“The recent focus on the threat that Asian carp poses to the Great Lakes
underscores the problem of invasive species, and their devastating impacts
to our ecosystems, economies and natural resources,” said Strickland.
“Ballast water management is not something that states can handle alone.
Strong federal action, which is both immediate and effective, is needed to
prevent the devastating effects of invasive species.”
Strickland has stressed that the debate on state preemption be set aside in
the interest of Congress swiftly enacting a federal standard on ballast
water exchanges. Two years ago, federal legislation on ballast water came
close to being passed, however, a compromise could not be reached regarding
state preemption, which would allow states to have different regulations for
ballast water exchanges.
Established in 1983, the Council of Great Lakes Governors is a non-partisan
partnership of Governors from each of the eight Great Lakes States -
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and
Wisconsin. In recent years, the Premiers of Ontario and Québec have
partnered with the Council to advance the environmental health and high
performance economy of the entire region.
More information on the Council is available at www.cglg.org.[[In-content Ad]]
Strickland was named chair at MGA’s winter meeting, and will serve in this role until February 2011.
Strickland's agenda, Midwest Jobs: Training Workers and Investing in Businesses for the New Energy Economy, will build on the previous regional efforts to foster economic growth and opportunities for the Midwest in the new energy economy.
He replaces Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who focused her agenda on Creating and Retaining Jobs in the New Energy Economy.
"As a region, the Midwest must determine how to best open up credit markets for mid-sized and smaller advanced energy companies," Strickland said. "As we cast off our reputation as the 'Rust Belt,' we must capitalize on the entrepreneurial spirit and strong work ethic of Midwesterners to expand our energy economy. Our region has the resources and potential to move this nation forward."
Strickland will focus his agenda on two objectives. The first will be increasing investment capital opportunities for Midwestern businesses. The Midwest has enormous energy resources to lead the nation in the new energy economy, as well as a strong manufacturing and agribusiness base. To fully realize this potential, substantial efforts must be taken to identify and create new opportunities to bring funding to the region.
The second objective of Strickland's agenda is to ensure the region's workers have the necessary skills for advanced energy jobs. Building a skilled workforce is an essential component of any state or regional effort to attract capital and businesses to the region, and Strickland will work to identify areas in which states can collaborate on a regional basis in order to meet workforce demands.
The Midwestern Governors Association (MGA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that brings together the governors of Midwestern states to work cooperatively on public policy issues of significance to the region. In addition to Strickland, the current members of the MGA are Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Iowa Gov. Chet Culver, Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds and Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle.
More information is available at http://www.midwesterngovernors.org/.
Council of Great Lakes Governors
Strickland was also elected as co-chair of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, joining Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle. His role as co-chair will be spearheading the Council’s efforts to protect the Great Lakes and invigorate the region’s economy.
“I am eager to roll up my sleeves and help lead the Council with Governor Doyle,” Strickland said. “Our work together has never been more important – creating jobs in the Great Lakes states and protecting the most important freshwater resource on the planet.”
In the coming months the co-chairs will help lead the Great Lakes governors’ collective efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes, including
combating Asian Carp and invasive species, and maintaining the exports and
regional tourism of the lakes.
At the Council of Great Lakes Governors’ meeting today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson released an Action Plan to guide the Obama Administration’s historic efforts to restore the Great
Lakes. The Action Plan lays out the most urgent threats facing the Great
Lakes and sets out goals, objectives and key actions over the next five
years to help restore the Lakes.
“The Great Lakes are one of our country’s greatest natural resources and
economic assets,” Strickland said. “We must protect and preserve our lakes
for our families and outdoors enthusiasts, as well as the industries that
rely on the waterways to transport their goods around the world. I look
forward to working with my fellow governors and the Obama Administration to
continue tackling the challenges facing the Great Lakes now and in the
future.”
Strickland has made preventing the spread of Asian carp and the introduction
of new invasive species a top priority. He has called for the
reintroduction of federal ballast water legislation that would protect the
Great Lakes and prevent the introduction of new invasive species.
While Asian carp are an immediate threat, a majority of aquatic invasive
species that cost millions to control and eradicate are introduced through
ballast water exchanges of oceangoing vessels that enter the Great Lakes
through the St. Lawrence Seaway.
“The recent focus on the threat that Asian carp poses to the Great Lakes
underscores the problem of invasive species, and their devastating impacts
to our ecosystems, economies and natural resources,” said Strickland.
“Ballast water management is not something that states can handle alone.
Strong federal action, which is both immediate and effective, is needed to
prevent the devastating effects of invasive species.”
Strickland has stressed that the debate on state preemption be set aside in
the interest of Congress swiftly enacting a federal standard on ballast
water exchanges. Two years ago, federal legislation on ballast water came
close to being passed, however, a compromise could not be reached regarding
state preemption, which would allow states to have different regulations for
ballast water exchanges.
Established in 1983, the Council of Great Lakes Governors is a non-partisan
partnership of Governors from each of the eight Great Lakes States -
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and
Wisconsin. In recent years, the Premiers of Ontario and Québec have
partnered with the Council to advance the environmental health and high
performance economy of the entire region.
More information on the Council is available at www.cglg.org.[[In-content Ad]]