U.S. Secretary
of Commerce
Gary Locke
Gary Locke was appointed by
President Obama as the 36th
Secretary of Commerce and sworn
into office on March 26, 2009.
At the Department of Commerce, Locke is charged with
helping implement President Obama’s ambitious agenda to turn
around the economy and put people back to work.
As the first Asian-American to hold this post in a president’s
cabinet, Locke has a distinctly American story. His grandfather
immigrated to Washington State from China, initially finding
employment as a servant, working in exchange for English lessons.
Locke’s father, meanwhile, was a small business owner, operating
a grocery store where Locke worked while receiving his education
from Seattle’s public school system. His strong work ethic and
determination eventually took him to the highest office in the state
of Washington.
Prior to his appointment, Locke helped U.S. companies break
into international markets as a partner in the Seattle office of inter-
national law firm Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. There, he cochaired
the firm’s China practice and was active in its governmental
relations practice.
As the popular two-term governor of Washington, the nation’s
most trade-dependent state, Locke broke down trade barriers
around the world to advance American products. He helped open
doors for Washington State businesses by leading 10 productive
trade missions to Asia, Mexico and Europe, significantly expanding
the sale of Washington products and services. He also successfully strengthened economic ties between China and Washington
State. His visits are credited with introducing Washington companies to China and helping more than double the state’s exports to
China to over $5 billion per year.
As part of his considerable trade and economic development
efforts, Locke launched Washington’s Competitiveness Council
with business and labor leaders working together to effectively
position Washington State for success at home and around the
world. During the eight years of the Locke Administration, the
state gained 280,000 jobs.
Locke earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Yale
University and a law degree from Boston University. He is married
to Mona Lee Locke. They have three children: Emily Nicole, Dylan
James and Madeline Lee.
