Gov. Mark Dayton was elected chair of the Midwestern Governors Association Sunday during meetings in Washington, D.C.
Dayton was in D.C. for national meetings, and today will attend the Democratic National Governors Meeting before returning to Minnesota Monday night.
He replaces Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad as head of the Midwest Governors Association.
For the coming year, Dayton will focus the group on coordinating state responses to invasive species, particularly Asian carp and zebra mussels.
Said Dayton in a statement:
"I am honored to have been chosen by my fellow governors to be Chair of the Midwestern Governors Association. I look forward to working with them to further strengthen our region and address invasive species, which are a significant threat to our region's ecosystem, way of life and economic stability."
Besides Minnesota, states in the MGA are: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. Dayton will serve as chair of the group until the annual meeting next February.