National

NAAAP Congratulates Gary Locke on His Confirmation as Secretary of Commerce Posted By: Hector Javier Thursday, April 9, 2009   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: pr@naaap.org April 8, 2009 - The National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) proudly congratulates former Washington Governor Gary Locke on the recent unanimous confirmation by the United States Senate of his appointment as the nation's 36th Secretary of Commerce. Secretary Locke is now the third Asian American in President Barack Obama's Cabinet, joining Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. NAAAP is especially proud of the fact that Secretary Locke is an alumnus of the NAAAP Seattle Chapter, formerly the Asian Management Business Association (Asian MBA). Secretary Locke stands as a shining example of the kind of leaders that NAAAP is dedicated to developing, supporting and fostering with its many professional networking, community engagement and leadership development programs all over the United States and Canada. Secretary Locke was the first Chinese-American State Governor and the first Asian-American State Governor on the North American mainland. Secretary Chu is a celebrated Taiwanese-American scientist and a winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics. Secretary Shinseki was the first Japanese-American and first Asian-American to become a four-star general and Chief of Staff of the United States Army. As the highest-ranking Asian Americans in the Executive Branch of the Unites States government, Secretaries Locke, Chu and Shinseki follow in the footsteps of former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and former Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta. NAAAP is looking forward to the example they will continue to show to the Asian American community, and especially the leadership they will continue to provide to the entire nation during these challenging times. Brad Baldia, NAAAP National President, said that “the appointments of Secretaries Locke, Chu and Shinseki demonstrate President Obama and his administration’s strong commitment to diversity. Secretaries Locke, Chu and Shinseki represent the very best of our community and it is extremely rewarding to see that Asian Americans are finally getting more equal representation in our government.” ### The National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership-based organization and is the largest and fastest growing Asian professional association with representation in over 25 cities across the United States and Canada. Its vision is "We Make Leaders!" For more information about the NAAAP, go to www.naaap.org.