Oklahoma's Mary Fallin named vice chairman of National Governors Association

Fallin, elected governor in November 2010, is the first Oklahoma governor to serve as vice chairman of the group. She was named last year to the organization's nine-member executive committee.

The first female governor elected in Oklahoma, Fallin is the third woman to serve as vice chairman of the National Governors Association.

“I'm honored to have been selected by my peers to serve as NGA vice chair,” Fallin said in a news release issued Sunday. “It's not only a privilege for me personally, it's also a welcome acknowledgment of the legislative successes we've made in Oklahoma and the state's continued economic growth and forward progress.

“The NGA is a well-respected and trusted source of innovative public policy solutions for our nation's governors,” she said. “I'm excited by the opportunity to serve and eager to share the great ideas and policies of the Sooner State with the rest of the NGA.”

Delaware Gov. Jack Markell was named chairman of the National Governors Association. Markell is a Democrat; the chairman and vice chairman rotate political parties each year.

The National Governors Association named the new leaders during the group's closing session of its annual meeting in Williamsburg, Va.

Fallin, as vice chairman, will also serve as chairman of the National Governors Association's Center for Best Practices Board.