Assemblyman Billy Jones (Photo provided)

PLATTSBURGH — State Assemblyman Billy Jones, D-Plattsburgh, has been appointed to serve as co-chair of the Council of State Governments’ Eastern Regional Conference’s (CSG East) Canada-U.S. Relations Committee through 2022.

He will serve with Canadian co-chair Guy Ouellette, a member of the National Assembly of Quebec.

“I look forward to working with my regional colleagues on key policy initiatives to enhance cooperation on issues of mutual concern with Canada, particularly on trade, transportation and the effective management of the shared border,” said Jones, who in addition to his legislative duties serves as the honorary co-chair of the Quebec-New York Corridor Coalition and is a former member of the North Country Economic Development Council.

“This is a real opportunity for the North Country, and an appropriate recognition of Billy’s knowledge of and commitment to U.S.-Canada relations,” said Garry Douglas, president of the North Country Chamber of Commerce. “The Eastern Council includes both U.S. states and Canadian provinces, including Quebec, and has long been not only a valuable forum for building relationships but a source of policy development.”

CSG is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization serving all three branches of state government and is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. CSG’s Eastern office has been in New York City since 1937, serving the legislative, executive and judicial branch officials in 11 Northeastern states, as well as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the eastern Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Quebec.

Its mission is to promote successful state policy innovations, forge multi-jurisdictional problem solving, advocate for regional interests at the federal level, offer leadership training and technical assistance, and forecast policy trends that affect the ERC region.

CSG East’s policy staff supports state government through nine areas of special concern to the region. These include agriculture, criminal justice, education, energy and environment, fiscal affairs, health, territorial relations, transportation and U.S.-Canada relations.