RALEIGH – Christopher Chung, Chief Executive Officer of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, on Monday was announced as one of 34 international business and economic leaders who will advise the Secretary of Commerce on how government policies and programs affect the United States’ ability to attract and facilitate foreign business investment.
“For the last decade, the United States has held the position as the number one destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) thanks to our incredible customer base, innovative culture, and world-class workforce,” said Secretary Gina Raimondo. “The U.S. Investment Advisory Council will play a vital role in providing recommendations on programs and policies to continue to attract and retain foreign investment in the United States. Representation from business and economic leaders on the Council is critical to our global success, and I am excited to welcome our new members and look forward to working with them.”
The list of those selected:
1. Barbara Humpton, President and CEO , Siemens Corporation
2. Benjamin H. Wu, President and CEO, Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation
3. Brad Chambers, Secretary of Commerce, State of Indiana and CEO of Indiana Economic Development Corporation
4. Chris Camacho, President and CEO, Greater Phoenix Economic Council
5. Christian Koenig, Founding Partner, KOENIG Communications
6. Christopher Chung, Chief Executive Officer, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina
7. David Carlebach, Vice President, International Investment, World Trade Center Utah
8. Don Pierson, Secretary of Commerce , Louisiana Economic Development
9. Emily Desai, Deputy Director for International Affairs and Trade, California Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz)
10. Gary Sumihiro, Founder, CEO, Sumihiro Investments, LLC
11. Guy Eristoff, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Pathfinder Activities, Tower Semiconductor
12. Hicham Abdessamad, Chairman & CEO, Hitachi America, Ltd.
13. Jane Thomas, President, Teijin Holdings USA
14. Jennifer Springer, Director of Business Development, Oklahoma
15. Jewell Sparks, Managing Director, BITHOUSE Venture Group Inc/UNITED 17 Ventures UG
16. Jonathan R. Everhart, CEO, Global ReEnergy Holdings
17. Josh Davis, Vice President of Global Trade and Investment, Greater Seattle Partners
18. Kevin Richards, Vice President, Head of U.S. Government Affairs, SAP America, Inc.
19. Michael Edgar, President, GWDC/SelectChicago
20. Michael McCabe, Resident Director, North America, Tata Sons Private Ltd
21. Mike Graff, Chairman and CEO, Air Liquide USA LLC
22. Nancy McLernon, President and CEO, Global Business Alliance
23. Quentin Messer, CEO, Michigan Economic Development Corporation
24. Richard H. Chin, President and Head of the Global Development Group, SK Group
25. Rob Rae, Director and Co-founder, Littus
26. Robert Hess, Vice Chairman, Global Strategy and Global Corporate Services, NEWMARK
27. Rodger Libby, Vice President and Head of Corporate Public Affairs, Deutsche Post DHL Group in the Americas
28. Sandra Watson, President and CEO, Arizona Commerce Authority
29. Scott C. Kuehn, Senior manager, Economic & Business Development, American Electric Power
30. Seth Martindale, Senior Managing Director Site Selection (FDI) and Economic Incentive Negotiation Lead, CBRE, Inc.
31. Stephen E. Spence, Director, International Development, West Virginia Department of Economic Development
32. Tom Osborne, Executive Director, Infrastructure, IFM Investors
33. Wilmer A. Arroyo Alvarado, President, Khronos Corporation
34. Yosuke J.O. Honjo, President & CEO, ITO EN (North America) INC.
The United States is home to more FDI than any other country in the world, with a total stock of FDI valued at approximately $5 trillion at the end of 2021, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. FDI supports nearly 8 million American jobs and was responsible for $397 billion in U.S. goods exports in 2019.
The IAC acts as a liaison among the stakeholders represented by the membership and provides a forum for them to discuss and develop recommendations on current and emerging issues regarding FDI. The IAC surveys and evaluates the investment and investment-facilitating activities of stakeholders, identifies and examines specific problems facing potential foreign investors, and assesses the needs of stakeholders to inform the IAC’s efforts. Ultimately the IAC recommends specific solutions to the problems and needs that it identifies throughout the process.
