The Honorable Gary Locke

Chairman, Locke Global Strategies LLC
Former U.S. Ambassador to China, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and
Governor of the State of Washington
Seattle, WA

As Governor of Washington State (the first Chinese American to be elected governor in United States history and the first Asian American governor on the mainland), U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and most recently as America’s envoy to China, Gary Locke has been a leader in the areas of education, employment, trade, health care, human rights, privacy, and the environment.

As Washington’s 21st Governor from 1997-2005, the nation’s most trade dependent state, Mr. Locke increased exports of Washington State products and services by leading 10 productive trade missions to Mexico, Europe, and Asia. He successfully strengthened economic ties between China and Washington State, more than doubling the state’s exports to China.

During his tenure, he achieved bipartisan welfare reform and oversaw the gain of 280,000 private sector jobs, despite two national recessions. Mr. Locke also had the most diverse cabinet in state history. And more than half his judicial appointments were women and 25% were people of color. His management skills and innovations in government efficiency have won him acclaim by nationally recognized authors and organizations, including Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. During his tenure, Washington was ranked one of America’s best managed states.

Serving as the 36th Commerce Secretary from 2009-2011, he led President Obama’s National Export Initiative to double American exports in five years; assumed a troubled 2010 Census process but which under his active supervision ended on time and $2 billion under budget; and achieved the most significant reduction in patent application processing in the agency’s history: from 40 months down to one year. Mr. Locke also oversaw a significant first step in the president’s export control reform effort that strengthened national security, while making U.S. companies more competitive by easing their licensing burden for high-tech exports.

As America’s 10th Ambassador to China from 2011-2014, he opened markets for made-in-USA goods and services; reduced wait times for visa interviews of Chinese applicants from 100 days to 3 days; and through the Embassy’s air quality monitoring program, exposed the severity of the air pollution in China, causing the Chinese people to demand action by the government and the government in turn beginning to address the issue.

Mr. Locke began his career in public service in the Washington State House of Representatives serving from 1983-1994. He was then elected as King County Executive, serving from 1994-1997.

Mr. Locke is Chairman of Locke Global Strategies, his own consulting firm, providing strategic advice and consulting services to businesses in the United States and China across a spectrum of issues and industries, including international trade.

He is also a Senior Advisor and Consultant for the Davis Wright Tremaine law firm where he consults with DWT’s domestic and international clients in several areas, including trade, regulatory, and investment policy issues at the local, state, national, and international level.