Gov. Minner reinstates Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council, names Bob Byrd as chair
Wilmington – Gov. Ruth Ann Minner announced today she would continue the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council (DEFAC), a nonpartisan council which monitors national and state economic trends and advises the governor on the overall financial condition of the State of Delaware.
Gov. Minner announced she would continue DEFAC by executive order and name Robert L. Byrd as chairman of the Council. Byrd is a past Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. Byrd served as a member of the Delaware House of Representatives from 1974-1978. He currently is a member of the Delaware State Unemployment Compensation Advisory Council and is a partner in Wood, Byrd & Associates, Inc., a state governmental affairs consulting firm.
“The State of Delaware has maintained a national reputation for fiscal prudence, even during times of economic hardship because of the credible information gathered by this Council” Gov. Minner said. “DEFAC will serve a vital role during the next four years, as we experience a slowing economy. I am confident that Bob Byrd will help this Administration steer Delaware on a fiscally sound course.”
The Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council was created in 1977 by Governor DuPont and has continued through the Castle and Carper Administrations. The Council will be a 25-member bipartisan body, appointed by the governor and representative of the state’s public and private sectors. Past members have included members of the General Assembly, the Delaware business community, and cabinet secretaries from the Department of Finance, Department of State, Division of Revenue, and the Delaware Economic Development Office. DEFAC will report to Governor Minner and the Secretary of Finance six times a year on Delaware’s overall financial condition.
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“It is DEFAC’s responsibility to set the annual revenue estimate that goes to the Governor and the Joint Finance Committee,” Bob Byrd said today. “This Council has been working well for the past 25 years, and there’s no need to change a good thing.”
