On the newest episode of Hometown California our host, Paul A. Smith, sits down for a conversation with Jim Ogsbury, Executive Director of the Western Governors Association (WGA). Together, Paul and Jim discuss the work of the WGA, who they are, and the intersection with rural California and the Rural County Representatives of California.

With membership that includes the Governors of the 22 western-most states and territories of the United States, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, WGA is largely an instrument of bi-partisan policy development, information exchange, and collective action on mutual interests.

Listen in to hear about how Executive Director Jim Ogsbury came to lead an organization of 22 elected Governors, how the organization operates, and how such an ideologically diverse group of members come together to develop policies that drive the organization forward. Find out about some of WGA's successes influencing federal policymaking in the areas of forest and federal lands management, endangered species, and more. And learn what is on the horizon as WGA continues to collaborate on issues impacting the western United States. Download now