Dirk Kempthorne has started his new role as the chairman of the National Governors Association.
Mr. Kempthorne, 51, who is serving his second four-year term as governor of Idaho, began his one-year term as NGA chairman last month.
After Gov. Kempthorne took over as chairman, the NGA announced it would give education issues a much higher profile within the organization. To accomplish that goal, it established a standing committee on education, a subject that had previously been addressed by the association’s human-resources committee.
Gov. Kempthorne, a Republican who was elected last year to serve as vice chairman of the association, succeeds Kentucky Gov. Paul E. Patton, a Democrat.
Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, a Democrat, was recently elected vice chairman of the association and is slated to succeed Mr. Kempthorne next year.
The Washington-based NGA is a nonpartisan public- policy organization that provides lobbying, information, and support for the nation’s governors.
Frank L. Ellsworth has been named the president of the Japan Society, a New York City-based organization that provides professional-development programs for educators to help them gain a better understanding of Japanese history and culture.
Mr. Ellsworth, 60, formerly served as the president and chief executive officer of endowments for the Los Angeles-based Capital Research and Management Co., a division of the Capital Group Cos., which specialize in financial management.
Mr. Ellsworth was set to begin his new position this week.
The Japan Society also offers programs for children from kindergarten through high school.
For instance, it recently launched a partnership to help two New York City schools meet specific needs.
— Catherine A. Carroll
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