National Governors Association Announces Retirement of Executive Director Bill McBride

Washington, D.C. - The National Governors Association (NGA) Executive Director, Bill McBride, has announced that he will retire and leave the organization at the end of the year.

McBride has served as the NGA Executive Director since 2019 and has guided the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, built bipartisan bridges on major initiatives and modernized NGA's reach and impact across all 55 U.S. states, commonwealths, and territories.

Under his leadership, the NGA advanced its research and policy operations, strengthened bipartisan collaboration, and achieved record participation from Governors and senior state officials nationwide.

Under McBride's tenure, NGA:

• Convened governors weekly during COVID-19 to coordinate strategy, share data, and engage directly with federal agencies.
• Helped shape and support the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), securing governors' influence in how funds were prioritized and deployed.
• Elevated bipartisan initiatives under NGA Chair's Initiatives: Reigniting the American Dream (Governor Stitt), Let's Get Ready (Governor Polis), Disagree Better (Governor Cox), and Strengthening Youth Mental Health (Governor Murphy), reinforcing the power of states to lead.
• Achieved record attendance at NGA events, drawing deep bipartisan engagement.
• Expanded its research and policy team to serve all 55 states and territories with actionable, governor-focused insights.
• Modernized operations and reasserted NGA's role as a trusted policy convener.

McBride's departure reflects a thoughtful, strategic transition planned in close collaboration with NGA leadership.

This announcement reaffirms NGA's continued commitment to stability, the importance of collaboration, and bipartisan governance.

A formal search for McBride's successor will be led by the executive search firm Heidrick and Struggles.

For media inquiries, please contact: Eric Wohlschlegel, [email protected]