Montville ― Longtime state Rep. Kevin Ryan, D- Montville, has been elected national chair of the Council of State Governments.

Ryan, who also represents Norwich and Ledyard in the General Assembly, said he has been working towards the position for many years.

“I’m looking forward to what we can do,” he said.

The Council of State Governments is a national nonpartisan organization that was founded in 1933, Ryan said. It features boards and committees made up of state officials who discuss local, state and federal issues.

There are also four regional branches of the Council of State Governments.

Ryan had served as chair of the Eastern region a few years ago. At a meeting last month, he was elected to a one-year term as national chair, effective Monday.

Ryan said he and colleagues in the organization will have the chance to meet next week to narrow down what issues they will make their priority for the year.

“We’ve been talking about housing as a major issue, but we have to select a few major issues over the year,” he said. “We have some ideas. We’re just going to sort it down to a few we want to pursue.”

Editor’s note: This version corrects the name of the organization, the date it was founded, what officials make up its boards and committee and how long Rep. Ryan has been working towards the position.

d.drainville@theday.com