Attorney General Gansler Elected Vice President of the
National Association of Attorneys General

BALTIMORE, MD ( June 16, 2010) -Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler today was unanimously elected by his peers to the position of vice president of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG). The Association elects its officers yearly, through geographical rotation by region. Over the last year, Attorney General Gansler has served as chair of the East Region of NAAG and as co-chair of the Association’s Environment and Energy Committee. He had previously served as co-chair of the Association’s Youth Access to Alcohol and Drugs Committee and as chair of the Democratic Attorney Generals Association the last two years.

“It is an honor and privilege to serve as vice president of NAAG,” said Attorney General Gansler. “I look forward to continuing the success we have achieved as a group, protecting American families, advocating for strong consumer protections, and building stronger, healthier communities.”

Since he was elected in 2006, Attorney General Gansler has focused on environmental, public safety, and consumer issues. He has embarked on a river-by-river environmental audit of the Chesapeake Bay, identifying problems at their source and formulating solutions that will benefit the Bay. He has also laid the groundwork for the construction of a power plant to convert 500 million pounds of chicken manure into energy – an effort that would significantly reduce the amount of pollution into the Chesapeake Bay. Attorney General Gansler also established the first Gang Prosecution Unit in the Office of Attorney General, created a statewide internet safety initiative focused on school-aged children, and joined other attorneys general in targeting sexual predators on social networking websites. Attorney General Gansler has continued to protect Marylanders from fraud and deception, helped to ensure the honesty and integrity of the marketplace, and provided millions of dollars in monetary relief to Maryland consumers who were victims of illegal practices.

The Executive Committee of NAAG is charged with the management of Association operations and yearly approval of a program plan of goals, objectives, and activities to guide its work. The Executive Committee comprises the four NAAG officers, four regional delegates and three presidential appointees and the chair of the NAAG Mission Foundation, which supports the work of the Association.

The Association fosters interstate cooperation on legal and law enforcement issues, conducts policy research and analysis of issues, conducts training, and facilitates communication between the states’ chief legal officers and all levels of government. The Association’s members are the Attorneys General of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and the chief legal officers of the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico (Secretary of Justice) and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.