Leocadia I. Zak

Leocadia Zak
Director of the Trade and Development Agency
Assumed office
January 20, 2009
Acting: January 20, 2009 – April 9, 2010
President Barack Obama
Preceded by Larry Walther
Personal details
Born Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party Democratic Party
Spouse(s) Kenneth Hansen
Alma mater Mount Holyoke College
Northeastern University
Leocadia Zak meets an architect in Rawabi, West Bank.

Leocadia Irine Zak serves as the Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency where she leads an agency dedicated to encouraging economic growth in emerging markets and the export of U.S. goods and services to those markets. After being nominated by President Barack Obama in November 2009, Zak was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 10, 2010.[1]

Background

Leocadia I. Zak has served as Acting Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency since January 20, 2009 and before that was the General Counsel (2000–2006) and Deputy Director (2006–2009) of USTDA.

Prior to joining USTDA, Zak was a partner in the Washington, D.C. and Boston offices of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. practicing in the areas of corporate, municipal and international finance. She served as counsel in connection with a variety of finance transactions for energy, transportation, health care, telecommunications and tourism projects.

Zak was also an Adjunct Professor of Law and has taught International Project Finance at the Boston University School of Law, Morin Center for Banking and Financial Law Studies and at the Georgetown University Law Center.

Zak received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College, which has named her to its Women of Influence Gallery. Her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.

Views

Zak maintains specific views on a variety of development issues given her worldwide responsibilities to providing foreign assistance to emerging economies around the world.

On January 6, 2013, Zak was featured in a segment on Bloomberg's "Capitol Gains" television show entitled "Boosting American Exports Around the World." profiling USTDA.

On a visit to Jakarta in March 2010, Zak responded to concerns over U.S. – Indonesia relations that clean energy deployment will foster inclusive economic development in Indonesia.[2]

She wrote in Airport Consulting that the economic downturn has prompted many U.S. firms to consider expansion opportunities abroad as a means to deal with the contraction of the U.S. market.[3]

In testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health and the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection on June 24, 2009, Zak said that the exploration of new markets are a vital element for stimulating the U.S. economy and that African development and trade must be a priority.[4]

Videos

External video
Movie clip of Bloomberg Government's "Capitol Gains" television show interview with USTDA Director Leocadia I. Zak, Video on Bloomberg TV website[5]

References

  1. Nominations & Appointments. whitehouse.gov
  2. Zak, Leocadia. Letters: Synergies realized. The Jarkata Post. April 9, 2010.
  3. "Opening Aviation Markets Overseas." Airport Consulting, December 18, 2009
  4. Statement by Leocadia I. Zak before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health and the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.
  5. http://www.bloomberg.com/video/boosting-american-exports-around-the-world-VA9~LLK8SZeRRuTH8hZIIg.html
Political offices
Preceded by
Larry Walther
Director of the Trade and Development Agency
2009–present
Incumbent
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