Gary Locke

official portrait of Gary Locke, 2009, U.S. Department of Commerce

Birth Name: Gary Faye Locke

Place of Birth: Seattle, Washington, U.S.

Date of Birth: January 21, 1950

Ethnicity: Chinese

Gary Locke is an American politician and diplomat. He has been President of Bellevue College, since June 15, 2020. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as King County Executive, from January 3, 1994 to January 15, 1997, Governor of Washington, from January 15, 1997 to January 12, 2005, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, from March 26, 2009 to August 1, 2011, and U.S. Ambassador to China, from August 16, 2011 to March 1, 2014. He was the first Asian-American governor in the continental U.S.

Gary is the son of Julie and James Locke. His father was a staff sergeant in the U.S. Fifth Armored Division during WWII. He is a third-generation Chinese American. His paternal family is from Taishan, Guangdong Province, China. His mother’s family is from Hong Kong. Gary’s Chinese name is pronounced “Lok Ga-fai.” Gary was raised in the public housing project Yesler Terrace.

He has three children with his former wife, television news reporter and former Miss Asian America, Mona Lee.

Gary’s paternal grandfather was named Suey Gim Locke. Suey was born in Shuibu Township, Taishan, and moved from China to Olympia, Washington, in the 1890s.

Source: Genealogy of Gary Locke (focusing on his father’s side) – http://www.wargs.com