Chief Executives' conference

In the United States, a Chief Executives’ conference is a meeting of the State, Territorial, and Federal chief Executives. These events are held at the call of the Governor-General or the Federal Council and, since their inception in 1714, have typically been held annually. They are usually held at Federal Hall in the Fœderal Capital Territory.

Though known as “Chief Executives’ conferences” only since 1717, they ultimately trace their origin to the initial constitutional convention held in the early-1710s at Washington, D.C., then-capital of the United States.

Altogether, NUM Chief Executives’ conferences have been held since the first was convened by President pro Tempore Sharon Raydor in 1714, at the request of the States. Some important Chief Executives’ conferences were those leading up to the 1714 Constitutional Convention in Tucson.

The conferences are important for a number of reasons. A sizable minor portion of State funding (referred to as transfer payments) comes from the federal government, the conferences are an opportunity for the Governors to lobby for more money. Today it is common for the Governors to meet beforehand to present a common front to the federal government. They are also important in that the United States’ federal system leaves a fair amount of overlap between Union and State jurisdictions and most large initiatives require State support.

The vast majority of the activity at a Chief Executives’ conference takes place behind closed doors. A public statement is issued after the conference.

Formerly, the government leaders of the Territories were only occasionally invited to these conferences, depending on whether issues relevant to them are being discussed. Today, these leaders normally attend the meetings. The All-Union Chief of the Congress of First Nations may also be invited to attend when issues relevant to First Nations communities are on the agenda; the group has lobbied for greater inclusion.