The National Governance Working Group
Under the leadership of 2011 CSG Chair Rep. Bob Godfrey, Connecticut, a national governance working group has been created to examine key ways
CSG can advance its mission through enhancements to its governance structure.
“Since our founding in 1933, CSG has seen unprecedented change in America’s states, and today’s fiscal and policy challenges require us as an organization to look inward and reflect on the ways CSG can better connect with state leaders around the country as they wrestle with these tough issues,” said Godfrey.
The National Governance Working Group is composed of members from across the broader CSG organization, including state officials from each of CSG’s regions as well as representatives from CSG’s Affiliate and Associate communities. The working group has considered and endorsed several enhancements to CSG’s governance model, including:
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An enhanced role for the judicial branch in CSG’s leadership and governance structure;
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An expanded Governing Board whose membership will include all governors, constitutional officers, majority and minority legislative leaders, and all chief judges in member jurisdictions.
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An Executive Committee tasked with major oversight of CSG activities including budget and major policy decisions;
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An agile and responsive Leadership Council charged with casting the strategic vision for CSG and acting, along with CSG’s senior staff leaders, as a “quick reaction force” to urgent organizational matters; and
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Codification of many CSG practices into officially sanctioned processes, including the regional rotation of CSG’s leadership.
“This is simply the beginning of what will be a transparent and inclusive process in which all CSG members will have an opportunity to review and comment on these ideas,” said Godfrey. “I want broad dialogue and consensus on these ideas that I believe will strengthen CSG well into the future.”
Recommendations from the working group will be considered next by a drafting team appointed by Godfrey over the winter, with a final draft governance document ready for review by CSG’s members at the 2012 National Leadership Conference in La Quinta, Calif., May 18-19.
Following this release of proposed governance changes, CSG’s leadership plans to convene town hall-style forums at each of CSG’s regional meetings in 2012 to ensure broad information sharing, consensus and transparency.
Final approval for these changes will be sought from CSG’s Governing Board during the 2012 National Conference in Austin, Texas, next December.