Council of Governors

The Council of Governors is a United States council of state and federal officials that was established to "advise the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the White House Homeland Security Council on matters related to the National Guard and civil support missions" ^[1] and to "strengthen further the partnership between the Federal Government and State Governments to protect [the United States] against all types of hazards". ^[2] The Council is tasked to review "such matters as involving the National Guard of the various States; homeland defense; civil support; synchronization and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United States; and other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities." ^[2]

The Council was authorized prior to 2008 and required by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, enacted by the 110th Congress and signed by President George W. Bush on January 28, 2008. ^[1] It was officially established by Executive Order 13528, issued by President Barack Obama on January 11, 2010. ^[3]

Composition

The Council of Governors is composed of 10 members, selected by the President for a term of 2 years from among the governors of the several states and territories of the United States and the Mayor of the District of Columbia. ^{[3] [4] [5]} No more than five members may be from the same political party. ^[3]

Two members of the Council, of different political parties, are designated by the President to serve as Co-Chairs of the Council. ^[3]

The work of the Council is coordinated by an Executive Director designated by the Secretary of Defense. ^[3]

Members

Member		Party	Tenure begun	State	FEMA region	Notes	References
	Glenn Youngkin	Republican	February 19, 2025	Virginia	III	Co-Chair	[6]
	Josh Stein	Democratic	February 19, 2025	North Carolina	IV	Co-Chair	[6]
	Ron DeSantis	Republican	February 19, 2025	Florida	IV		[6]
	Kathy Hochul	Democratic	February 19, 2025	New York	II		[6]
	Brian Kemp	Republican	February 19, 2025	Georgia	IV		[6]
	Jeff Landry	Republican	February 19, 2025	Louisiana	VI		[6]
	Henry McMaster	Republican	February 19, 2025	South Carolina	IV		[6]
	Wes Moore	Democratic	February 19, 2025	Maryland	III		[6]
	Josh Shapiro	Democratic	February 19, 2025	Pennsylvania	III		[6] [7]
	Gretchen Whitmer	Democratic	July 8, 2021	Michigan	V	Reappointed February 19, 2025	[8] [6]

Former members

Member		Party	Tenure begun	Tenure ended	State	FEMA region	Notes	References
	Mike DeWine	Republican	February 22, 2019	February 19, 2025	Ohio	V	Co-Chair Reappointed July 8, 2021	[8] [9]
	Tim Walz	Democratic-Farmer-Labor	February 22, 2019	February 19, 2025	Minnesota	V	Co-Chair Reappointed July 8, 2021	[8] [9]
	Bill Lee	Republican	August 14, 2020	February 19, 2025	Tennessee	IV		[10]
	John Bel Edwards	Democratic	July 8, 2021	February 19, 2025	Louisiana	VI	Previously served on Council from 2017 to 2019	[8]
	John Carney	Democratic	July 8, 2021	February 19, 2025	Delaware	III		[8]
	Kate Brown	Democratic	July 8, 2021	February 19, 2025	Oregon	X		[8]
	Spencer Cox	Republican	July 8, 2021	February 19, 2025	Utah	VIII		[8]
	Phil Scott	Republican	July 8, 2021	February 19, 2025	Vermont	I		[8]
	Mark Gordon	Republican	July 8, 2021	February 19, 2025	Wyoming	VIII		[8]
	Jim Douglas	Republican	February 4, 2010	January 6, 2011	Vermont	I	Co-Chair	[11]
	Jay Nixon	Democratic	February 4, 2010	January 9, 2017	Missouri	VII		[11]
	Terry Branstad	Republican	March 9, 2011	May 24, 2017	Iowa	VII	Co-Chair	[12]
	Mike Rounds	Republican	February 4, 2010	January 8, 2011	South Dakota	VIII		[11]
	Brad Henry	Democratic	February 4, 2010	January 10, 2011	Oklahoma	VI		[11]
	Luis Fortuño	NPP/Republican	February 4, 2010	January 2, 2013	Puerto Rico	II		[11]
	Bev Perdue	Democratic	February 4, 2010	January 5, 2013	North Carolina	IV		[11]
	Christine Gregoire	Democratic	February 4, 2010	January 16, 2013	Washington	X	Co-Chair	[11]
	Neil Abercrombie	Democratic	March 9, 2011	December 1, 2014	Hawaii	IX		[12]
	Jan Brewer	Republican	February 4, 2010	January 5, 2015	Arizona	IX		[11]
	Pat Quinn	Democratic	February 21, 2013	January 12, 2015	Illinois	V
	Martin O'Malley	Democratic	February 4, 2010	January 21, 2015	Maryland	III	Co-Chair	[11]
	Matt Mead	Republican	March 9, 2011	May 1, 2017	Wyoming	VIII		[12]
	Brian Sandoval	Republican	February 21, 2013	May 1, 2017	Nevada	IX		[13]
	Terry McAuliffe	Democratic	February 24, 2015	May 1, 2017	Virginia	III		[14]
	Rick Snyder	Republican	February 24, 2015	May 1, 2017	Michigan	V		[14]
	Eric Greitens	Republican	May 1, 2017	June 1, 2018	Missouri	VII		[15]
	Bill Walker	Independent	May 1, 2017	December 3, 2018	Alaska	X		[15]
	Mark Dayton	Democratic-Farmer-Labor	February 24, 2015	January 7, 2019	Minnesota	V		[14]
	Rick Scott	Republican	May 1, 2017	January 8, 2019	Florida	IV		[15]
	Dannel Malloy	Democratic	February 4, 2010	January 9, 2019	Connecticut	I	Co-Chair	[11]
	Steve Bullock	Democratic	February 24, 2015	January 4, 2021	Montana	VIII		[14]
	Mary Fallin	Republican	May 1, 2017	January 14, 2019	Oklahoma	VI	Co-Chair	[15]
	Bill Haslam	Republican	2014	January 19, 2019	Tennessee	IV		[16]
	Charlie Baker	Republican	2016	February 22, 2019	Massachusetts	I		[9]
	Doug Ducey	Republican	February 22, 2019	July 7, 2021	Arizona	IX		[9]
	Asa Hutchinson	Republican	July 12, 2018	July 7, 2021	Arkansas	VI		[17]
	David Ige	Democratic	February 22, 2019	July 7, 2021	Hawaii	IX		[9]
	Ned Lamont	Democratic	February 22, 2019	July 7, 2021	Connecticut	I		[9]
	Mike Parson	Republican	February 22, 2019	July 7, 2021	Missouri	VII		[9]
	JB Pritzker	Democratic	February 22, 2019	July 7, 2021	Illinois	V		[9]
	Pete Ricketts	Republican	February 22, 2019	July 7, 2021	Nebraska	VII		[9]

Federal officials

Position	Member
USNORTHCOM Commander		General Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy
Commandant of the United States Coast Guard		Admiral Karl L. Schultz
Chief of the National Guard Bureau		General Joseph L. Lengyel

Scope of activities

Topics for review by the Council of Governors include synchronization and integration of state and federal military activities and other matters related to state National Guard organizations, homeland defense, and civil support. ^{[2] [3]}

Meetings

Meetings of the Council are called by the Secretary of Defense or the Co-Chairs. ^[3]

The inaugural meeting was held on February 23, 2010, in Washington, D.C., at the Pentagon. ^[18] A second meeting was held July 11, 2010 in Boston, Massachusetts. ^[19] A third meeting was scheduled for November 2010. ^{[20] [21]}

References

1. Pub. L.   110–181 (text) (PDF)
2. "Press Release: Executive Order 13528 – Establishing Council of Governors". whitehouse.gov . 11 January 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2018– via National Archives.
3. Executive Order 13528
4. 6 U.S.C.   § 101(15)
5. 42 U.S.C.   § 5122(5)
6. "President Trump Announces Appointments to the Council of Governors". The White House (Press release). February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
7. "Governor Josh Shapiro (PA) was appointed to the Council of Governors by President Donald J. Trump". visibletogether.com. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
8. Association, National Governors (2021-07-08). "President Joe Biden Appoints Nine Members to President's Council of Governors". National Governors Association. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
9. "NGA Welcomes Council of Governors Appointments". The White House. 2019-02-22. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
10. "Trump Plans to Appoint Lee to Council of Governors, 8/14/20". Archived from the original on 2020-10-01. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
11. "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 2/4/10". whitehouse.gov . 4 February 2010. Archived from the original on 2017-02-16. Retrieved July 13, 2021– via National Archives.
12. "Nation's Governors Welcome New Council of Governors Appointments" (Press release). National Governors Association. 9 March 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
13. "Sandoval Appointed to Council of Governors" (Press release). Nevada Office of the Governor. 21 February 2013. Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
14. "Nation's Governors Welcome New Council Of Governors Appointments" (Press release). National Governors Association. 24 February 2015. Archived from the original on 31 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
15. www.whitehouse.gov
16. "Haslam Travels To Afghanistan, Germany" (Press release). Tennessee Governor's Office. 29 September 2014. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
17. President Donald J. Trump Announces His Intent to Nominate and Appoint Personnel to Key Administration Posts; July 12, 2018
18. "ICommandant: Council of Governors ... An historic day". blog.uscg.dhs.gov. Archived from the original on August 4, 2010.
19. "U.S. Northern Command". www.northcom.mil?NNCBlog. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011.
20. "News & Media | Governor Jay Inslee". www.governor.wa.gov. Archived from the original on November 3, 2010.
21. http://www.nga.org/cms/home/news-room/news-releases/page_2011/col2-content/main-content-list/general-content-1.html ^{[ dead link ‍]}

External links

• FEMA Regions