Obama Names Locke as Ambassador to China Video

Obama to Nominate Gary Locke Ambassador to China

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke is getting a new assignment: President Barack Obama plans to nominate him to become the next U.S. ambassador to China, making Locke the first Chinese-American to hold that post.

An announcement was expected this week, administration officials said. They requested anonymity to speak freely before Obama makes the nomination official. Read more at AP

Obama Announces Export Council Video

See who's on the council here.

Attendees:

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke
Stephanie A. Burns, Chairman, President & CEO, Dow Corning Corporation
Scott Davis, Chairman & CEO, UPS
Richard Friedman, President & CEO, Carpenter & Company, Inc.
Gene Hale, President & Founder, G&C Equipment Corporation
C. Robert Henrikson, Chairman, President & CEO, MetLife, Inc.
William Hite, General President, United Association
Robert A. Mandell, Chairman & CEO, Greater Properties
Jim McNerney, Chairman, President & CEO, The Boeing Company
Raul Pedraza, Founder & President, Magno International, L.P.
Ivan Seidenberg, Chairman & CEO, Verizon
Glenn Tilton, Chairman, President and CEO, UAL Corporation and Chairman & CEO, United Air Lines
James S. Turley, Chairman & CEO, Ernst & Young
Patricia Woertz, Chairman of the Board, CEO & President, Archer Daniels Midland Company

ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS EXPECTED TO ATTEND

Deputy Secretary of State Jack Lew
Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
Deputy Secretary of Labor Seth Harris
Secretary of Energy Steven Chu
Director of the Office of Management and Budget Peter Orszag
United States Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk
Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors Christina Romer
Assistant to the President for Economic Policy Larry Summers
President of the Export-Import Bank Fred Hochberg
Director of the US Trade and Development Agency Leocadia Zak

Commerce Secretary Speaks on Jobs Report

Chu and Locke Host Clean Energy Forum

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Energy Secretary Steven Chu host forum on climate change and clean energy:

Commerce Department to Help Entrepreneurs Turn Ideas Into Companies

Gary Locke Explains How Census Will Work

The Census will not be politicized. Robert Groves is the director of the Census once he is confirmed.

Obama's Cabinet Complete: Swearing in of Sebelius and Locke

Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius' first assignment: H1N1. This is the ceremonial swearing in of Sebelius and Gary Locke, Commerce. See Obama's full cabinet here.
Obama's pretty funny today:

Read more about what Obama had to say about H1N1 (the flu formerly known as swine) after his second cabinet meetup today here.

Obama Gets in Some Golf With Commerce and Trade

The motorcade pulled up to the golf courses at 9:28. The president, in tan shirt and tan shorts and golf saddle shoes walked a short distance from his cart and greeted a group on a practice putting green that had been shooting him with their camera phones. Among the president's golfing guests were Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, trade representative Ron Kirk and White House staffer Marvin Nicholson. An entourage of 14 golf carts entered the South Course at about 9:45. The president's cart was driven by the general manager of the course, Mike Thomas, a civilian. Read the rest at Lynn Sweet's blog

Commerce's Gary Locke's Family Secrets

Commerce secretary Gary Locke will oversee the census count next year. He says he'll make sure everyone is counted for a true portrait of America.
Locke's grandfather was barred from the U.S. because of the Chinese Exclusion Act.

NYT: “I’m not really sure, but I think my grandfather claimed he was born here but the birth records were destroyed,” Locke said.

For more than half a century, in an act of overt institutional racism, the Chinese were barred from legally entering the United States, with only a few exceptions. The Chinese Exclusion Act lasted until 1943. Those who managed to get in were often called “paper sons,” using elaborate ruses about lost documentation to enter the country.

Locke’s grandfather — today — would likely be hiding in the shadows, fearing federal officials and the lash of those who don’t like the changing character of America.

All of which gives Locke an unusual perspective for his new job. As Commerce Secretary, he will oversee one of the oldest undertakings of the federal government: the decennial census, which takes place a year from now. As defined by the Constitution, the census is supposed to be a count of all residents of the United States — “actual enumeration,” not just citizens.

In attempting to translate that task for purposes of electoral representation, the first census counted black slaves as three-fifths of a human being. That 1790 head count put the population of the young republic at 3.9 million.

Locke was born in the United States, so you wing nuts can rest easy. His father served in the American Army, a staff sergeant who landed at Normandy Beach and fought the Nazis in Europe.

Meet Commerce Secretary Gary Locke

Obama Announces Gary Locke Commerce Secretary

We've tried this a couple of times, Obama said. Read more about Locke here.

Third Time's a Charm? Gary Locke?

This guy has to be squeaky clean -- no tax trouble, no undocumented nannies. Locke is a democrat.

President Barack Obama's likely third pick for Commerce secretary is former Washington Gov. Gary Locke, a senior administration official said Monday.
Locke was the nation's first Chinese-American governor when he served two terms in the Washington statehouse from 1997 to 2005.
Obama's expected choice of Locke arose less than two weeks after his most recent pick, Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, backed out. Just over a week after Obama named him and he accepted, Gregg cited "irresolvable conflicts" with the policies of the Democratic president.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not yet been made. AP

Locke's bio:

Gary Locke

Partner- Seattle, Washington Office

Prior Experience
Washington State Governor, 1997-2005

Gary was elected Washington’s 21st governor on November 5, 1996, making him the first Chinese American governor in U.S. history. On November 7, 2000, Gary, a Democrat, was reelected to his second term by an overwhelming margin.
As governor, he worked to make Washington a better place to live, work and raise a family by dramatically raising academic achievement in the public schools; strengthening the state’s economy, improving transportation, expanding health care to vulnerable children and adults, and making the state government more accessible and user-friendly.
Gary’s organizational and managerial accomplishments have been recognized by Governing Magazine as one of America’s five best managed states, as a finalist in the Harvard Innovations in Government program, and as the most Digital State Government.
King County Executive, 1994-1997

As chief executive Gary expanded transit services, adopted a nationally acclaimed growth management plan and successfully merged a regional transit and sewage treatment agency into county government.
Washington State House of Representatives, 1983-1994

Gary served on the House Judiciary and Appropriations Committees, with his final five years as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, writing state budgets.
Deputy Criminal Prosecutor, King County, Washington, 1976-1980

Memberships and Activities
Chair, Democratic Governor’s Association, 2003

Board Member, Digital Learning Commons, 2003 – present

Board Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 2005 - present

Board Member, Key Technology Inc., 2008 - present

Board Member, Safeco, Inc., 2005 - present

Board Member, Seattle Art Museum, 2006 - present

Member, Committee 100, 2005 - present

Named as one of the Lawdragon “500 New Stars, New Worlds” in 2006

Education
J.D., Boston University, 1975

B.A., Yale, 1972