Alabama Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter was elected Chairman of the Council of State Governments Southern Office (CSG South) for 2024-2025. Ledbetter’s election to the post comes ahead of the group’s annual Southern Legislative Conference (SLC) being held in Birmingham July of next year.
As Chairman, Ledbetter will preside over the nation’s largest regional forum of state government, which is expected to draw more than 1,800 attendees from the South.
“It’s an honor to serve as chairman of the 79th Southern Legislative Conference, and I’m grateful that my peers from CSG South’s 15 member states saw me fit to serve in this capacity,” Speaker Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) said.
“I’m excited to welcome legislators, staffers, private partners and their guests to the great state of Alabama for what I know will be an insightful and exciting meeting. From our award-winning musicians to our nationally renowned culinary scene, we plan to showcase what makes Sweet Home Alabama so special.”
Ledbetter was officially elected chairman after serving as chair-elect of the 78th annual Southern Legislative Conference meeting held at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia in July.
RELATED: Fort Payne’s June Jam XVIII: Where Alabama political leaders and country music legends meet
Alabama’s very own, Randy Owen, extended legislators a warm welcome to the Yellowhammer State in a video promoting the next conference destination and all it has to offer. A fellow native of Ft. Payne, Ledbetter counts Owen as a personal friend, and has consistently teamed up on projects with a charitable or educational purpose.
“I want to invite you to a place I truly love,” Owen says. “You’ll love the food…and you’ll love the nature, with miles of trail and streams and outdoor adventures. And you’ll love the culture, from music to sports to museums — even museums about music like the Alabama Museum in Ft. Payne.”
CSG South works to promote and strengthen intergovernmental cooperation among its 15 member states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270
