Secretary Tom Ridge Announces State and Local Officials Senior Advisory Committee Members and Representatives

Release Date: 07/01/03 00:00:00

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 1, 2003

Secretary Tom Ridge announced the appointment of 13 individuals to serve as Members or Representatives of the State and Local Officials Senior Advisory Committee to the Homeland Security Advisory Council.  

Secretary Ridge established this subcommittee to provide the Homeland Security Advisory Council with advice on increasing America's security from experts representing state and local government.  

Michael Leavitt of Utah will serve as Chair.  He is the 14th Governor of the State of Utah.  Leavitt is also a past Chairman of the National Governors Association.  

Anthony Williams of the District of Columbia will serve as Vice Chair.  He was elected Mayor of the District of the Columbia in 1998.  Before his election, he was Chief Financial Officer of the District of Columbia.

James Dunlap of Oklahoma currently serves as a Senator in the Oklahoma State legislature.  He currently serves on the American Legislative Exchange Council National Board of Directors and recently was the organization's chairman.

Robert Eckels of Texas is currently a County Judge from Harris County and serves as Director of Emergency Management.  From 1982 to 1994, he was a member of the Texas State House of Representatives.

Donna Finn of Ohio is currently serving her second four year term as Township Trustee in Jefferson Township (Franklin County).  Prior to her election, she was the Township's chief zoning enforcement officer as Zoning and Development Coordinator.

Glenda Hood of Florida serves as Secretary of State.  Prior to being appointed by Governor Jeb Bush she was the Mayor of Orlando.  Before becoming Mayor in 1992, she served as an Orlando City Council member.  Secretary Hood is a past president of the National League of Cities.

Don Knabe of California is presently on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.  He previously served as a council member and Mayor of Cerritos, California.

John Rowland of Connecticut is the current Governor of the State of Connecticut.  He first took office in 1995 at age 37 and was reelected in 1998 and 2002.  

Association Representatives -

Karen Anderson of Minnesota is the Mayor of Minnetonka and the Immediate Past President of the National League of Cities.

Michael Huckabee of Arkansas was sworn in as the 44th elected governor in November 1998.  Governor Huckabee serves as the President of the Council of State Governments.

Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho was reelected as Idaho's Governor in November of 2002. He was first elected in 1998, following a six-year term in the United States Senate.  In July 2003, Governor Kempthorne will become the President of the National Governors Association.

Peggy Merriss of Georgia has served as Decatur’s City Manager since 1993.  Ms. Merriss is the President of the International City-County Management Association.

Angela Zoë Monson of Oklahoma has been a member of the Oklahoma State Senate since 1993.  Senator Monson currently serves as First Assistant Majority Floor Leader.  Senator Monson is the President of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The State and Local Senior Advisory Committee will also include representatives from the United States Conference of Mayors and the National Association of Counties.

This page was last modified on 07/01/03 00:00:00