September 6, 2024

Department of Commerce

Yoo

Washington State Department of Commerce Director Mike Fong announced that Grace Yoo will join the agency as assistant director. Yoo comes to Commerce from the Washington State Women's Commission, where she has served as executive director since her appointment by Gov. Jay Inslee in May 2023. Before joining the governor's cabinet, Yoo worked for Starbucks, where she led the company's efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its retail stores. Prior to joining Starbucks, Yoo served as a diplomat with the U.S. Foreign Service, where she covered topics such as human rights and labor issues at American embassies in China, Korea and Germany. She also served in several roles at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., including as an advisor to the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. Yoo has a bachelor's degree in East Asian studies from UCLA and a master's degree in international and intercultural communications from American University. Yoo will lead the Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness teams at Commerce, including industry sector development, circular economy, rural and marketing services, small business export assistance, small business finance and community support, finance and grant services, and contracts and procurement. She will serve on the agency's Executive Leadership Team. Yoo will be based in the department's Seattle office.