News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 30, 1999
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke thanks Tim Douglas for his leadership at CTED

OLYMPIA — Gov. Gary Locke today accepted the resignation of Tim Douglas, director of the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, praising Douglas for his leadership of the agency for the past two years.

Douglas has agreed to stay in his post until late spring or early summer so that CTED can remain focused on its goals and objectives. A search for his successor will begin immediately.

"Tim has done an outstanding job strengthening CTED as a 'can do' agency," Locke said, "putting it on the front line of our efforts to increase international trade, keep jobs in our state and develop our rural economic development agenda."

Locke cited a number of achievements at CTED since Douglas took charge:

- Esperanza, the first temporary migrant housing project ever funded by the state, will open in Mattawa in May. It will provide more than 350 farmworkers and their families with sanitary places to live.
- CTED took the lead in persuading Allied Signals to stay in Washington, saving almost 600 family-wage jobs in the Redmond area.
- CTED also helped convince Lamb-Weston to keep its headquarters in the Tri-Cities area, saving 250 jobs.
- The Business Development team developed two investment seminars in Taiwan to attract top-level business investors to Washington.
- The agency streamlined its system for sharing business leads around the state. In 1998 alone, CTED played a key role in attracting $140 million in private investment and 120 jobs to Grant and Cowlitz counties.

- CTED helped organize two rural economic development summits. The result is a package of legislation that will put new economic tools into the hands of rural communities.

Locke also praised Douglas for helping the state attract the World Trade Organization's Ministerial Meeting in November 1999. The meeting will be the largest trade event ever held in the United States, attracting more than 5,000 delegates from 133 countries, as well as President Clinton and Vice President Gore.



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