Terry Goddard Elected to Lead Western Attorneys General

(Phoenix, Ariz. – July 25, 2007) Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard was elected Chair of the Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG) today during the organization’s Summer Meeting held in Anaheim, Calif.

“The Western States Attorneys General have an excellent track record of working together for the benefit of our citizens,” Goddard said. “CWAG has been a catalyst for new ideas and strategies, and I am honored to lead this outstanding organization.”

Goddard will serve as CWAG Chair through July 2008. Goddard today told the membership that one of his top priorities will be to strengthen the relationship between

U.S. Attorneys General with their law enforcement counterparts in Mexico.

“We have made great strides in recent years in addressing issues of mutual concern such as auto theft,” Goddard said. “Together we can work more effectively to reduce human trafficking and drug smuggling, crimes that devastate families and neighborhoods on both sides of the border.”

Goddard was elected to a second term as Arizona Attorney General in 2006. Since taking office in 2003, he has led the fight against meth use and has focused on consumer protection issues, including identity theft, cyber crime, predatory lending and deceptive advertising.

Earlier in his public service career, Goddard was elected Mayor of Phoenix four times, leading the City from 1984 to 1990. During his time as Mayor, he was named “Municipal Leader of the Year” by City and County Magazine and was elected President of the National League of Cities.

Goddard is an Arizona native, born and raised in Tucson. He served an active duty tour in the Navy and retired as a Commander after 27 years in the Naval Reserves. He and his wife Monica live in Phoenix with their young son.

CWAG is a bipartisan group comprised of the chief legal officers of 15 western states and three Pacific territories. Members include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The Conference also includes the Pacific jurisdictions of American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam.