January 12, 2009

STATE REP. BOB GODFREY ELECTED TO NATIONAL LEADERSHIP POST
Danbury legislator elected vice chair of the Council of State Governments

Lexington, Ky. — Connecticut State Representative Bob Godfrey of Danbury has been elected vice chair of the Council of State Governments, a national nonpartisan, nonprofit organization representing state officials in all three branches of state government.

Godfrey assumed his new office this month and is on track to become CSG's chair in 2011. He was elected to the post by the organization's governing board, a national panel of state officials from all three branches of government led by CSG President, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell. Godfrey served as co-chair of CSG's Eastern Regional Conference in 2005.

Now serving his 11th term in the Connecticut House of Representatives, Godfrey serves as deputy speaker and is a member of the Judiciary Committee, the Legislative Management Committee and the Planning and Development Committee.

CSG is the only national organization serving officials in all three branches of state government. It was founded in 1933 and is a region-based forum that fosters the exchange of insight and ideas to help state officials shape public policy.

"In these difficult economic times, when all states are feeling the pinch of the deteriorating global economy, organizations such as CSG become even more critically important," said Godfrey. "CSG allows us to join together to explore many different alternatives, share experiences from state to state, and avoid the 'reinventing-the-wheel solutions' that would otherwise consume too many state resources. The range of activities goes from recent panels on the mortgage crisis, coordinating states' efforts on interstate transportation, and advocacy to the new administration on the economic stimulus, infrastructure improvements, and health services."

CSG's national headquarters are in Lexington, KY, and regional offices are located in New York City, Atlanta, Chicago and Sacramento. A Washington, D.C. office tracks federalism issues, serves as a watchdog for states' rights and is the base for CSG's international programs.

CSG affiliate organizations contribute specialized expertise, information, resources and issues to the overall mission of CSG. These organizations, based in CSG offices, are: the American Probation and Parole Association, the Emergency Management Accreditation Program, Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision, National Association of Attorneys General, National Association of Secretaries of State, National Association of State Chief Administrators, National Association of State Facilities Administrators and the National Association of State Personnel Executives.

Also, the National Association of State Technology Directors, National Association of State Treasurers, National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, National Emergency Management Association, National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, National Lieutenant Governors Association and the State International Development Organization.

Godfrey has served several terms as chair and vice chair of CSG's Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, as a member of the National Executive Committee and Governing Board, and as a trustee of the 21st Century Fund, a foundation promoting innovations and excellence in the states.

For more information, visit www.csg.org.