Membership Monthly – August 2024

Updates from the NGA Membership Team for August 2024. For more about the programs below and a list of upcoming events please email NGA at: membership@nga.org.

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August Spotlight

Governors Marks Back to School Month

August marks National Back to School Month. Throughout the month, NGA’s Communications team will continue to amplify Governors’ back to school messages via NGA’s website and social media channels. This effort will also help augment NGA Chair Colorado Governor Jared Polis’ education focused Chair’s Initiative Let’s Get Ready. 

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First Spouses

First Spouses Invite Governors’ Offices to Help Raise Awareness about Fentanyl and Overdose Prevention

Virginia First Lady Suzanne Youngkin and New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy invite Governors and First Spouses to help mark August 21 as National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day and August 31 as International Overdose Awareness Day.

Mrs. Youngkin and Mrs. Murphy ask offices to help raise awareness by taking one, some or all of the following actions: 

1) Lower the state flag to half-staff to honor lives lost to fentanyl and issue a press release about the order to lower flags; 

2) Light a government building purple, the global color of addiction recovery, and issue a press release and/or post photos; and/or

3) Post on social media (e.g., acknowledge the awareness dates and/or share resources about fentanyl and overdose prevention).

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Communications

NGA Relaunches Flickr Page, Promotes Governors’ Social Media Channels

As many Governors’ offices maintain Flickr accounts, NGA has relaunched its profile on Flickr. Governors’ offices are welcome to follow NGA and use the photos NGA has uploaded.

During future NGA meetings, NGA plans to create new albums to share photos of Governors.

The channel will also serve as a resource for other meeting participants and NGA partners to share Governors’ work.

View NGA’s Flickr account here.

Click here to access a list NGA maintains noting links to Governors’ social media accounts, including those who maintain Flickr accounts.

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Government Relations

Governors Invited to Serve on NGA Task Forces 

NGA Chair Colorado Governor Polis and NGA Vice Chair Oklahoma Governor Stitt recently invited all Governors to sign up to serve on one of NGA’s three Governor-led task forces: 

• Economic Development and Revitalization Task Force
• Education, Workforce, and Community Investment Task Force

Public Health and Disaster Response Task Force

These task forces, which work closely with NGA’s Office of Government Relations, serve as the voice of the nation’s Governors and advocate on behalf of all states and territories on a variety of regulatory, legislative and policy matters.

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Center for best practices

NGA Highlights the Announcement of Governor Polis’ Let’s Get Ready Education Initiative

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NGA Announces Policy Academy to Strengthen SNAP Employment & Training Delivery

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NGA Leads Webinars on Addressing Chronic Absenteeism & Boosting Student Engagement

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Monthly Member Update

NGA Leads Conference in American Samoa, Governor Mauga Delivers Keynote Address

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NGA gives Back

NGA Staff Donates Food to Local Nonprofit

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August in Photos

NGA routinely shares photos of Governors at work. In recognition of the observance of of Back to School Month, the August selections feature Governors meeting with students.