Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 15, 1999
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke names Choe and Nutley to head Community, Trade and Economic Development

OLYMPIA — Gov. Gary Locke today named Martha Choe, Seattle City Council member, to lead the Washington Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED). Named as deputy director for community development is Busse Nutley, former state legislator and Clark County commissioner and current chair of the Washington Housing Finance Commission.

Kathy Kreiter, who has served as acting director since the resignation of Tim Douglas last spring, will assume the role of deputy director for administration for CTED.

In naming the two, Locke said their combined years of experience in the public sector will help to guide the complex agency.

"Martha is one of the most dynamic, energetic and articulate people I know," Locke said of Choe. "She has a proven track record of service and understands the importance of economic development and trade. As a former teacher and banker, Martha has the background to make her ideally suited for this position."

Locke worked with Nutley during his time in the state House of Representatives.

"Having worked with Busse in the legislature, I know she is committed to helping communities grow and develop," Locke said. "With her experience in state and local government, Busse will be a strong advocate for local communities as they deal with growth, rural economic development and the changing workforce."

Choe said she sees this appointment as a chance to continue working with people in the spirit of enterprise.

"I cannot imagine a more rewarding job in which I get to tackle promoting job creation, international trade, economic growth, rural development, and improving the quality of life for our state's citizens," Choe said. "All of these issues are interwoven now more than ever, and the challenge is to focus and harness these connections to drive economic development."

Choe, 44, served two terms on the Seattle City Council. She worked on creating of the Seattle Jobs Initiative, revitalization of the downtown retail core and expansion of the Port of Seattle Terminal 5. Choe also worked on establishing a lending program for small business start-up companies, increasing access to apprenticeship and workforce training programs and increasing citywide investments in transportation.


Choe is a graduate of Seattle's Roosevelt High School, earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and her master's degree from Seattle University, where she currently serves as a member of the board of trustees. She serves on the boards of the YMCA of Greater Seattle, Leadership Tomorrow and the Trade Development Alliance. She also is a former member of the board of trustees for Western Washington University.

Nutley, 50, has a history of public service since her early work as an urban planner with the Regional Planning Council of Clark County. She worked for the Clark County Home Builders Association from 1978-82 and served as president of a land use planning consulting firm. She was elected to the Washington House of Representatives in 1984 from the 49th district, serving as housing committee chair and committee member for the local government, financial institutions and insurance; environmental affairs, and the conference committee for the Growth Management Act of 1990.

Nutley was elected to the Clark County Commission in 1990, working on comprehensive land use planning, zoning ordinances and environmental laws. She became a private consultant in the Vancouver area, working in dispute mediation and resolution for public and private groups. She most recently worked with the Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team.

"My entire career has been devoted to helping communities work better and smarter on behalf of their residents," Nutley said. "Although the work of this agency seems diverse — growth management, housing, early childhood education and crime victim assistance, to name just a few programs — it serves the single purpose of enriching the quality of life for the people of this state. I look forward to being part of the team that helps our many diverse customers."

Locke said one of the first challenges facing the new team will be reorganizing the agency. Locke asked the 1999 legislature to split CTED, creating a Department of Community Development and a Department of Trade and Economic Development as two distinct organizations. Currently, the agency handles a wide and diverse group of responsibilities, from international trade and early childhood education to community development and tourism. The governor said such a split would allow each agency to focus on its goals more effectively and efficiently, instead of having one agency responsible for so many different programs.

CTED has a two-year budget of about $511 million in capital funds, and about $344 million in operating funds. About 93 percent of those funds are passed down to local governments for community programs. The agency has about 350 employees in Olympia, Seattle and Spokane.

Choe will begin her new duties in mid-October. Her position carries an annual salary of $99,362. Nutley will begin her new duties in Sept. 24, and her position carries an annual salary of $81,552. Kreiter, as deputy director for administration, also will earn a salary of $81,552.

» Return to this month's News Releases

» View News Release Archive