Napolitano Elected National Governors Assoc. Leader

Gov. Janet Napolitano has been elected Chair of the National Governors Association (NGA), a bi-partisan organization that allows governors to collectively influence the development & implementation of national policy, & to work together on issues affecting all states. The vote was held today, at the organization’s summer meeting in Charleston, S.C. Napolitano is the 1st woman to serve as chair during NGA’s 98-year history, & is the 1st Governor of Arizona to hold that prestigious leadership position.

During her year at the helm of NGA, Gov. Napolitano will lead the work on her Chair’s Initiative, entitled "Innovation America." U.S. economic growth in the 21st century – & its ability to compete successfully with other nations – will be driven by America’s ability to generate ideas & translate them into innovations. To create &d foster innovation, the initiative will focus on 2 interconnected achievements:

* Increasing math & science proficiency of all children in K-12 as well as post-secondary education systems – including the graduate level – & increasing the quantity of scientists & engineers who attend college from U.S. high schools.

* Promoting business innovation broadly throughout the states & targeting innovative regions that compete globally.

By creating & growing innovation in states, not only will the U.S. be able to meet the current international challenge, we also will be able to capitalize on the opportunity to increase the number of high wage jobs at home.

"Innovation needs to be a part of the fabric of all that we do as a state & as a nation,” said Gov. Napolitano. “I’m particularly excited about the emphasis on math & science education. It’s not that we need to teach every child to be a mathematician or a scientist, although many will have that aptitude. More than that, it teaches essential problem-solving skills – & a sense of discovery – that can be applied to any area of study, & will ultimately meet the need of the business community to find job candidates who can excel in the 21st century business environment.”

As NGA Chair, the Governor will also continue to be directly involved in matters of national policy, including the role of the governor as commander-in-chief of state National Guard troops; tax policies with direct affect on individual states; cost-shifting of federal budget responsibilities to the states; Medicaid & other health-care related issues; public safety & more.

For more info about that National Governors Association, go to www.nga.org. To find out more about the Office of the Governor, please click on www.azgovernor.gov.