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United States Ambassador Gary Locke has built a distinguished career spanning public service, diplomacy, and business, bringing extensive expertise in US-China relations and economic development to a variety of roles.
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 ...
Locke is on the Board of Governors at RIDGE-LANE LP. Locke was the U.S. Ambassador to China, where he worked to open markets for U.S.-made goods and services, ...
Locke served as the 21st governor of Washington from 1997 to 2005, where he was the first Chinese American governor as well as the first Asian American governor ...
Gary Locke is a prominent American lawyer and politician, notable for being the first Chinese American governor in U.S. history, serving Washington State ...
Through his consulting company, Locke Global Strategies, Governor Locke advises US and Chinese companies on cross-border trade and investment. He's also an ...
Gary Locke is a seasoned business professional and an American politician with extensive expertise in US-China relations.
Often considered one of the top speakers for doing business in China, Ambassador Gary Locke has spent more than three decades working with – and in – China.
Gary Locke has been a leader in the areas of education, employment, trade, health care, human rights, immigration reform, privacy, and the environment.
Gary Locke unpacks over two decades of official and personal ties with China -- from his time as the first Chinese-American governor of a US state, to commerce ...
On February 17, 2016, Locke joined the board of AMC Theatres.
On May 31, 2016, Locke joined the board of the Seattle-based global health nonprofit PATH.
Locke was tapped to be the interim president of Bellevue College on May 28, 2020, following the resignation of the college's president due to a controversial defacement of a campus mural.
Gary Locke was born on January 21, 1950, in Seattle, Washington, spending his early years in the Yesler Terrace public housing project. The second of five children, Locke is a third-generation Chinese American. His paternal grandfather immigrated from China in the 1890s, working as a houseboy in Olympia, Washington, in exchange for English lessons. Locke did not learn English until age five. He graduated with honors from Seattle’s Franklin High School in 1968, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. He pursued higher education through part-time jobs, financial aid, and scholarships, earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Yale University in 1972 and a Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law in 1975.
Locke began his public service career in 1982 when he was elected to the Washington House of Representatives, where he chaired the Appropriations Committee. In 1993, he was elected King County Executive. His notable career progression includes serving as the 21st Governor of Washington from 1997 to 2005, becoming the first Chinese American governor in U.S. history. During his tenure, he focused on expanding trade, leading ten missions to Mexico, Europe, and Asia, and more than doubling Washington’s exports to China to over $5 billion per year. He also implemented bipartisan welfare reform and oversaw significant private sector job growth, with Washington being recognized as one of the best-managed states. He was chosen to deliver the Democratic response to President George W. Bush’s 2003 State of the Union Address.
His national political career included serving as the 36th United States Secretary of Commerce from 2009 to 2011 under President Barack Obama. In this role, he led efforts to double American exports, successfully managed the 2010 Census, and achieved a significant reduction in patent application processing times. From 2011 to 2014, he served as the 10th United States Ambassador to China, becoming the first Chinese American in this position. In China, he worked to open markets for U.S. goods and services, reduced visa interview wait times for Chinese applicants, and initiated an air quality monitoring program at the Embassy. Following his ambassadorship, Locke continued to engage in public service and business, including serving as interim president of Bellevue College from 2020 to 2023 and joining boards such as AMC Theatres and PATH.
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