Tennessee Speaker Cameron Sexton and Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat were unanimously elected to serve as the 2020-2021 chair and chair elect of the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC), respectively, by the members of SLC’s Executive Committee.
As chair, Speaker Sexton will preside over the Conference through the coming year, assisted by Senator Treat. A 2015 alumnus of SLC’s Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills, Speaker Sexton also will assist in shaping the program for the 75th SLC Anniversary Annual Meeting, to be held in Nashville in July 2021, and Senator Treat is anticipated to serve as chair of the 76th SLC Annual Meeting, to be held in Oklahoma City in the summer of 2022.
Tennessee’s leadership role within the SLC is a long-established one. The state has the distinction of hosting the inaugural meeting of the Southern Legislative Conference in 1947; adopting the SLC’s organizational rules at its ninth annual meeting in Gatlinburg in 1955; serving as host to the 50thAnniversary Annual Meeting in 1996 and, most recently, the 65th Annual Meeting in 2011 in Memphis.
“Being elected to serve as the chair of the Southern Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments by my peers is a tremendous honor. I can’t think of a more important time than now to lead this incredible regional organization that strives to find innovative and sustainable solutions to address the many challenges we are currently facing – whether it is the health and fiscal impacts brought on by the pandemic or charting a course of prosperity and hope beyond Covid-19. The SLC has served as a valuable resource to elected and appointed state officials across Tennessee and throughout our region for many years. It will remain impactful in the years ahead, and I look forward to, once again, hosting this prestigious event in Nashville in 2021 because it will have a positive economic effect on our entire state.”
– Speaker Cameron Sexton, Tennesse
“Being elected to serve as the chair of the Southern Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments by my peers is a tremendous honor. I can’t think of a more important time than now to lead this incredible regional organization that strives to find innovative and sustainable solutions to address the many challenges we are currently facing – whether it is the health and fiscal impacts brought on by the pandemic or charting a course of prosperity and hope beyond Covid-19. The SLC has served as a valuable resource to elected and appointed state officials across Tennessee and throughout our region for many years. It will remain impactful in the years ahead, and I look forward to, once again, hosting this prestigious event in Nashville in 2021 because it will have a positive economic effect on our entire state.” Oklahoma previously hosted the meeting four times, most recently in 2008. An invitation from Senator Treat and Speaker Charles McCall on behalf of the Oklahoma Legislature to serve as host for the 76th Annual Meeting of the SLC in in Oklahoma City was accepted by the Executive Committee in 2019. Both Senator Treat and Speaker McCall will serve as co-chairs of the Host Committee, which will be established in the coming months to begin preparation for the event. The meeting, which is expected to draw more than 1,000 attendees from its member states, will highlight successful programs and policy initiatives unique to Oklahoma and bring together experts to highlight opportunities and solutions to challenges facing policymakers across the Southern region.
– Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, Oklahoma
“Hosting the 76th Annual Meeting of the Southern Legislative Conference provides us the opportunity to showcase Oklahoma City, in particular – a city that has rediscovered its strengths, and redefined itself for the future – as well as many other areas of our state. As a member-driven organization of state elected and appointed officials, we are particularly pleased that the event will coincide with the completion of both the interior and exterior renovations of our beautiful Capitol building. We look forward to showcasing the world-famous brand of Oklahoma hospitality for all of our guests.”