For Immediate Release
September 26, 2000
Contact: Rusty Cheuvront or Gwenda Bond (502) 564-2611  

Governor Patton Assumes Chairmanship of Southern Governors' Association

Little Rock, Arkansas - Governor Paul Patton was elected by his fellow Southern governors at their annual meeting today to chair the Southern Governor's Association for the next year.

Governor Patton said, "I am truly honored to assume chairmanship of SGA. Over the next year, as the Chair of the Southern Governors' Association, I want us to focus on the new economy, and what we must do in the South to position our states to be part of this new economy and the opportunities it provides us."

The 2001 Annual SGA meeting will be held September 9-11 at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington.

SGA is the oldest and historically the largest of the regional governors' associations. Since its first meeting 62 years ago, the SGA has represented the common interests of Southern states' chief executives and provided a vehicle for promoting them nationally. The ongoing mission of the association is to support the work of the governors by providing a bipartisan regional forum to help shape and implement national policy and to solve state and regional problems.

The association's membership is composed of the governors of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia and West Virginia.

Governor Patton said, "We're all aware the world economy is changing daily as a result of continual discoveries of new information. Information that will, in fact, allow our citizens to have improved economic opportunity and an improved standard of living. I challenge all of my fellow Southern governors to stay engaged this year, as we focus on finding ways to make sure our Southern region isn't left out of the economy of the future. At our annual meeting next year in Lexington, we will discuss how we can put what we have learned to work for our states."

Governor Patton was also named to the Executive Board of the Southern States Energy Board.

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