The First Woman to Serve as President of a Convention of States

The interstate convention held in Phoenix, Arizona in September, 2017 was the first convention of states since 1949, the first national (general) convention of states since 1861, and the first convention of states with female commissioners.

It also was the first to elect a woman president. She was (and is) Arizona State Rep. Kelly Townsend, pictured at the podium above.

The gathering met to recommend rules to a future convention for proposing a balanced budget amendment. Nineteen states participated, more than in any previous conclave of the kind, other than the 1861 Washington Conference Convention (which had 21).