First Lady Yolanda Bryan traveled with her husband to Washington on Thursday to attend the annual National Governors Association (N.G.A.) Winter Meeting. Although not mentioned in the original Government House release detailing Governor Bryan’s trip, the administration’s communications director, Richard Motta, confirmed Mrs. Bryan’s attendance to The Consortium in a followup.
“The first lady is traveling to Washington, D.C., as the N.G.A. also provides professional development resources and networking opportunities for first spouses as well,” Mr. Motta said.
According to the NGA’s brochure, seen here, “The NGA Spouses’ Program provides governors’ spouses with opportunities to share experiences, best practices and advice with colleagues about their unique roles and responsibilities during NGA’s Winter and Summer Meetings and an annual Spouses’ Seminar. NGA Consulting staffs a six-member, bipartisan Spouses’ Leadership Committee that guides the governors’ spouses’ program and activities. NGA Consulting also conducts an annual seminar for spouses’ assistants and executive residence managers.”
According to Government House, while in Washington Mr. Bryan will participate in a senior plenary session of the Interagency Group on Insular Areas, where he, along with governors from the other U.S. territories, will outline their federal priorities with the leadership of the U.S. Department of Interior.
He will testify before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources during a hearing to examine the state of U.S. territories on Feb. 26 on Capitol Hill.
“I am looking forward to this week in Washington, first to meet with governors from across the nation to share ideas and explore opportunities for collaboration, but more importantly, to continue the push in Congress for its continued support for our recovery and other needed-federal resources,” the territory’s leader said.
Former Governor Kenneth Mapp testified before Congress in November 2017 following the deadly and destructive Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and was lauded for his effort in winning overreluctantly Congresspeople weary of providing billions of dollars of aid to U.S. Virgin Islands leaders.
The N.G.A., founded in 1908, provides a bipartisan forum for governors to exchange views and share best practices. It also serves to identifies priority issues and works with governors to establish bipartisan positions to influence key federal policies, develops innovative solutions to state policy challenges and provides tailored technical assistance to governors. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Lieutenant Governor Tregenda Roach will serve as acting governor until Mr. Bryan returns on February 27, Government House said.
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