SPOKANE, Wash. — The director of the Washington State Department of Commerce is stepping down from her position, according to a release from the department.
Lisa Brown, a longtime Spokane resident, was appointed to the agency by Gov. Jay Inslee in Feb. 2019. She will remain in her role until March 3, 2023.
Brown is the former Senate Majority Leader in the Washington House of Representatives and the former chancellor of Washington State University Spokane. She also served in the state House of Representatives for four years, where she was minority whip and floor leader.
Former President Barack Obama endorsed Brown when she challenged Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers during the 2018 midterm elections.
During her time with the Department of Commerce, Brown expanded the department's Community Engagement and Outreach team and started the Small Business Resiliency Network, which uses public and philanthropic funding to support small businesses. Specifically, the network supports businesses that employ entrepreneurs from historically marginalized communities.
Thirty businesses are part of the network, including the Carl Maxey Center in Spokane.
“Strengthening communities is Commerce’s mission. We have a short name and a big toolbox of programs, grants and technical assistance to deploy," Brown said in a written statement. "I want to thank the dedicated Commerce employees partnering with local governments, businesses, and non-profits to foster good jobs, infrastructure and access to broadband, sustainability and resiliency, housing and community capital facilities, and support for families and businesses in every region of the state. I am proud of our work over the last four years and confident that this team will continue to excel in equitable community and economic development.”
Gov. Inslee referred to Brown as a trailblazer in her own right who shattered glass ceilings and looked for ways to clear the path for others to succeed.
“Commerce has undergone enormous change in the last few years, and Lisa has been an exceptional leader throughout it all,” Inslee said in a written statement. “During COVID-19, Lisa deftly guided the agency to pivot quickly to administering unprecedented levels of relief and assistance funding for local governments, Tribes, small businesses and nonprofits, youth development programs, people needing housing and rent assistance, and more. Our state is better for her leadership and I wish her all the best in her next endeavors.”
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