OLYMPIA – Washington state Rep. Sherry Appleton (D-23rd) has been appointed to the executive committee of the Council of State Governments-West (CSG-W), the division of the larger non-partisan Council of State Governments that comprises the 13 westernmost states in the U.S. According to its website, the CSG-W executive committee serves as the organization’s board of directors, overseeing the work of policy committees ranging from economic development and education to international trade.
The executive committee also selects lawmakers from throughout the CSG-W member-states to attend the annual Western Legislative Academy in Colorado Springs. The academy, which Appleton was invited to attend early in her legislative career, is designed to help newer legislators become more effective public servants.
“One of the most valuable experiences in my life was being selected to attend the Western Legislative Academy in 2007,” Appleton said. “It’s a privilege to be able now to help others benefit the way I did, and to have a hand in steering this venerable non-partisan organization.”
Appleton plans to meet with her fellow board members during the 64th annual CSG-W meeting, which rotates through the 13 member-states and will be held in Hawaii in late July and early August this year. The Kitsap lawmaker stressed that, as is her custom when attending legislative events outside Washington, she will be paying her own expenses, including airfare, rather than asking taxpayers to foot the bill.