2018 Annual Meeting hosted by Gov. Daugaard in South Dakota will feature seven Governors, keynotes by Secretary Zinke, Philip Anschutz

The Western Governors’ Association 2018 Annual Meeting, featuring seven Governors and an impressive array of special guests, opens Monday in Rapid City, S.D.

WGA Chair and South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard is hosting the meeting, which runs through Wednesday, and will be joined by Governors Doug Burgum (North Dakota), Matt Mead (Wyoming), John Hickenlooper (Colorado), Butch Otter (Idaho) Gary Herbert (Utah) and Steve Bullock (Montana).

Opening-day keynotes will be delivered by Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta and Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson. On Tuesday, the meeting shifts to Mt. Rushmore for addresses by Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and Philip Anschutz, Chairman of The Anschutz Corporation.

WGA will be live-tweeting from the meeting, follow the hashtag #WGA18 for the latest. We’ll also offer daily updates on our website.

Online registration is closed. Onsite registration will be available at the Holiday Inn Rushmore Plaza, Dakota Ballroom Foyer on Sunday, June 24 (2-5 p.m.), Monday, June 25 (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) and Wednesday, June 27 (7:30-11:30 a.m.).

Below are highlights of the agenda, find the detailed agenda online.

Monday, June 25 (Holiday Inn Rushmore Plaza)

  • Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta Keynote (1:30 p.m.)
  • Roundtable: Western Governors’ Workforce Development Initiative (1:50 p.m.)
  • Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson Keynote (3:30 p.m.)

Tuesday, June 26 (Mt. Rushmore)

  • Keynotes at Mt. Rushmore (9:15-10:30 a.m.): Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke; Chairman of The Anschutz Corporation Philip Anschutz

Wednesday, June 27 (Holiday Inn Rushmore Plaza)

  • Roundtable: Battling the Opioid Epidemic (9:15 a.m.)
  • A Conversation with First Spouses (10 a.m.)

Get the latest news about the West and its governors by following the Western Governors' Association on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.


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