Two top officials from the National Conference of State Legislatures are headed to Guam this week to strengthen ties with local lawmakers.

Senator Wayne Harper, President of the NCSL and Vice President Arturo Perez will be on island from April 10 to April 12.

Speaker Frank Blas Jr. said the visit includes meetings with key leaders including himself and Vice Speaker Ada to discuss areas of collaboration.

The NCSL serves legislatures across all 50 states, two commonwealths, and three territories, providing bipartisan research, training, and support for lawmakers.

Bibliography Senator Wayne Harper and Vice President Arturo Perez:

Senator Wayne Harper, President Pro Tempore President National Conference State Legislatures (NCSL) is a member of the Utah State Senate representing District 6 since January 1st 2013. Harper served in the Utah House Representatives from January 1st, 1997, until December 31st, 2012, in the legislative district 43 seat. Harper earned his Bachelor of Arts in history and Master of Science from Brigham Young University. He is married to KaLee and together they have 11 children. Harper is a certified archivist, certified real estate consultant and certified real estate consultant and certified real estate developer. Haper has been affiliated with the Conference of Iner-Mountain Archivists, the International Economic Development Council and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Arturo Pérez is the Vice President of the NCSL State Services Division, which includes the Center for Ethics in Government, Fiscal Affairs Program, Legislative Training Institute and Legislative Staff Services Program. In his role as a member of the NCSL Executive Management Team, he assists in developing and monitoring the organization’s budget, participating in the hiring process for new staff within the division, overseeing the work of managers within the division ,advising/supporting managers on issues pertaining to their programs, participating in EMT activities and decision making, providing objective advice to the executive director on matters pertaining to the division and organization and conducting performance reviews of division program managers. An NCSL staff member since 1990, he has bachelor’s degrees in history and political science from Texas A&M University. He also received a master’s degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin.