ABOUT US
The Midwestern Governors Association is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that brings together the governors of 12 states to work cooperatively on public policy issues of significance to the Midwestern region. The MGA was created in December 1962, when articles of organization were adopted at the first annual meeting in Chicago. The members of our association include the governors of the following 12 Midwestern states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Purpose
As stated in our articles of organization, the purpose of the Midwestern Governors Association is "to foster regional development, to attain greater efficiency in state administration, to facilitate interstate cooperation and improve intergovernmental relationships, and to provide a medium for the exchange of views and experiences on subjects of general importance to the people of the Midwestern states." In pursuit of these objectives, the conference has, through the years, established a wide array of committees, task forces and study groups charged with investigating and reporting on various issues of regional concern.
Washington and Regional Offices
The MGA is supported in its efforts on two fronts, with an office in Washington,
D.C. and with secretariat services provided by staff in the CSG Midwestern Office. MGA staff support projects undertaken by the governors and by MGA working groups to promote regional cooperation and problem-solving. These multi-state committees of government officials work to enhance economic development in the Midwestern states and identify opportunities at the federal level to advance the MGA's goals. Issues they have recently addressed include agriculture, workforce development, international trade and tourism promotion.
Staff Advisory Committee
The MGA Staff Advisory Committee (SAC) facilitates the day-to-day communications on behalf of the region's governors. Appointed by their respective governors, these individuals represent Midwestern chief executives' top policy advisors. By remaining in regular contact with one another, including monthly meetings, the SAC members are able to ensure the governors' timely response to federal initiatives. Maintaining an ongoing interstate dialogue to identify the most pressing issues facing the region, the SAC oversees the development of cooperative efforts and joint policy statements.
Meetings and Programs
The association provides a forum for the exchange of information by sponsoring periodic meetings and regularly producing publications that keep the governors and their staff in touch with news from our states and the nation's capital. Annual meetings of the governors were first held in 1962, and since then the MGA has also organized special summits and regional roundtables devoted to issues impacting the Midwest. Bringing together state government policy experts, our most recent special conferences have allowed for the sharing of best practices for combating the spread of methamphetamine in the region and the development of policy recommendations for the reauthorization of the federal farm bill in 2007.
MGA Partners Program
The Midwestern Governors Association has established a partnership with a number of organizations. Click here for a list of our partners and for more information about joining the MGA Partners Program.