CHAIR

David Ige was elected Hawai’i’s 8th governor in 2014 and reelected in 2018. He began his political career in 1985 after being appointed to fill a vacant seat in the Hawai’i House of Representatives. In 1994, then-Representative Ige was elected to the Hawai’i Senate and served until 2014. As WGA Chair, Governor Ige launched the Western Governors' Biosecurity and Invasive Species Initiative to focus on the impacts that nuisance species and pathogens have on western ecosystems, forests, rangelands, watersheds, and infrastructure, as well as how biosecurity can address risks posed by invasive species.

DIRECTOR

Spencer Cox was elected as the 18th Governor of Utah in 2022. His career in public service began with a position on the city council, before being elected mayor of Fairview and later Sanpete County Commissioner. Following a nine-month stint in the Utah House of Representatives, Cox was selected by Governor Gary Herbert to succeed Greg Bell as Utah’s eighth Lieutenant Governor.

As Chair of the Western Governors' Association, Governor Cox launched Energy Superabundance: Unlocking Prosperity in the West, an initiative that examines the challenges and opportunities for expanding production, transmission, and storage options across the energy spectrum to unlock more reliable, secure, and affordable energy to meet growing demand and achieve energy abundance across the West. 

DIRECTOR

Dr. Josh Green was elected as the 9th Governor of Hawai’i in 2022. He was inspired to run for office after practicing medicine in the underserved area of Kā’ū on the Big Island of Hawai’i. He initially served in the Hawai’i State House of Representatives from 2004 to 2008. From 2008 to 2018, he served in the Hawai’i State Senate, including as Majority Floor Leader, Chair of the Health and Human Services committees, and Vice Chair of the Energy and Environment, and Human Services and Housing committees.

DIRECTOR

Michelle Lujan Grisham assumed office as the 32nd Governor of the state of New Mexico in 2019.  The 12th generation New Mexican grew up in Santa Fe and is the first Democratic Hispanic woman to be elected Governor in U.S. history. Prior to her election as Governor, she served three terms in Congress, as a cabinet secretary for three different New Mexico Governors, and as a Bernalillo County Commissioner.

As former Chair of the Western Governors' Association, Governor Lujan Grisham launched Building Resilient and Affordable New Developments in the West (BRAND West), a project focused on expanding access to housing in western states.