Council of Governors Holds 32nd Plenary Meeting

The Council of Governors (COG) held its 32nd Plenary Meeting February 19, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The meeting was held in conjunction with the 2026 National Governors Association (NGA) Winter Meeting.

Council of Governors Co-Chair North Carolina Governor Josh Stein opened the meeting by welcoming South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster as the new Co-Chair of the Council. Governor McMaster will fill the role vacated by former Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. Governor Stein also welcomed Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen as a new member of the Council. The following COG members also participated in the meeting: NGA Vice Chair Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Louisiana Governor Josh Landry, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

During the meeting, the Council discussed the following topics:

• Strategic budget trends
• Current National Guard posture
• Domestic Preparedness Support Initiative 
• Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) coordination efforts
• State-federal coordination on disaster response and recovery
• Updates from the Council of Governors working groups, with focus on workforce considerations and cybersecurity

Meeting participants included Adjutants General from multiple states as well as representatives from the White House and the Department of War, including (listed in speaking order):

• M. Roosevelt Ditlevson, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Homeland Defense and Americas Security Affairs, Department of War 
• Jared Borg, Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director, White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs 
• The Honorable Michael Powers, Deputy Under Secretary of War (Comptroller), Department of War 
• General Steven Nordhaus, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Department of War  
• Colonel Nathaniel Allen, Acting Director Defense Support of Civil Authorities - Events and Incidents, Department of War   
• The Honorable Tim Dill, Assistant Secretary of War for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Department of War

The bipartisan Council of Governors was established by Section 1822 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 and implemented by Presidential Executive Order 13528 in 2010. It includes 10 Governors who work with federal officials to address issues relating to the National Guard; national security; homeland defense; and disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

Learn more about the Council of Governors here.