NEWS RELEASE                               January 3, 2006

For more information contact:                             

Julia Hurst, National Lt. Governors Association
859 283-1400 jhurst@csg.org
or
Brian Hatfield,  Office of Lt. Gov. Brad Owen
(360) 786-7745
hatfield_br@leg.wa.gov

Seattle new site for Lt. Governors meeting in July
Replaces New Orleans as host city for annual session

SEATTLE - Between 20 and 25 lieutenant governors are expected in Seattle this summer to attend the annual meeting of the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA), Washington Lt. Gov. Brad Owen said.

The July 17 – 20 meeting of the second-highest ranking state elected officials will emphasize international trade and also include panel discussions on critical issues facing the nation. Owen said he agreed to host the NLGA conference at the request of the association, which had originally scheduled it to be in now hurricane-ravaged New Orleans.

“The planning cycle for this meeting is being severely compressed from a two-year process to a six-month Herculean effort,” said Julia Hurst, executive director of the NLGA. “We are most grateful that Lt. Governor Owen stepped up to showcase his state and bring our members to Seattle when our New Orleans hotel indicated they would be closed through the summer of 2006.”

Hurst said the conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel is expected to draw about 100 people to downtown Seattle, including the lieutenant governors, their spouses, staff and members of supporting organizations.

The NLGA conference will be the third successive national meeting of state officials in Seattle. The National Governors Association held its annual meeting in the Emerald City in 2004 and in 2005 the city played host to the National Conference of State Legislators.

“Seattle continues to be a top pick for major events and we look forward to continuing the city’s wonderful reputation for providing stellar hospitality,” Owen said. “While the prospect of hosting this conference caught us a little off guard, I am sure we can meet the challenge of producing an exceptional meeting and leave a lasting impression of the great Northwest among my distinguished lieutenant governor colleagues from other states.”

The agenda and specific details of the meeting are being coordinated between NLGA staff and Owen’s office in Olympia.  Owen said individuals and businesses interested in helping out are encouraged to get in touch.

Hurst said the annual meeting typically draws high-ranking federal officials as speakers. Last year’s session in Honolulu, for example, included a presentation by John Walters, director of the National Office of Drug Control Policy.  She said NLGA will take its “next possible meeting to New Orleans, contributing to the recovery efforts of that region.”

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