Gary Locke to keynote Western’s leadership forum Nov. 6 in Seattle

Gary Locke, former Washington state governor and United States ambassador to China, will be the keynote speaker at the 17th Annual Western Washington University Leadership Forum on Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Seattle Sheraton.

Before his political career began, Locke graduated from Franklin High School in Seattle, earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a law degree from Boston University. Locke then served as chair of the Appropriations Committee after being elected to represent central Seattle in the Washington House of Representatives in 1987. He was elected King County executive in 1993. During his two terms as the nation’s first Chinese-American governor from 1997 to 2005, Locke was known for making education a budget priority and promoting international trade. President Obama nominated Locke to serve as secretary of commerce in 2009 and then as China’s ambassador in 2011, where he worked to reduce wait times for Chinese citizens to obtain United States visitor visas and encouraged Chinese companies to do business in the United States.

Doors will open for registration at 11:30 a.m. at the Seattle Sheraton, with lunch service beginning at noon; the keynote address will begin at 12:45 p.m. A private reception for scholarship sponsors of $3,000 and above will be held at 11 a.m.

Sponsorships begin at the $1,500 table level, which provides $500 for student scholarships. The $3,000 scholarship level provides $2,000 for a named scholarship, and the $5,000 premier level provides $4,000 for two named scholarships. Each table seats 10, with the sponsor filling nine seats and Western places a representative at the tenth seat. Individual tickets are $150 per person.

The emcee for the Leadership Forum this year is Western alumna and news anchor for King 5 News Joyce Taylor.

The WWU Foundation hosts the Leadership Forum each year, featuring a noted leader as keynote speaker. This event brings together corporate and civic leaders, alumni, and parents and friends who are interested in the University and leadership trends, with all proceeds going towards Western student scholarships. For more information, to reserve a table of 10 or make an individual reservation, please register online at the Business Forum website at http://www.wwu.edu/leadershipforum or call 360-650-3629.

Media interested in attending the event should contact John Thompson at john.thompson@wwu.edu or 360-650-3350.