Former Rep. Dreier tapped to lead commission on trade

Former Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) has been picked to lead a new commission on trade.

The ex-chairman of the House Rules Committee will head up the Annenberg-Dreier Commission, which will organize meetings and trips to the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, Calif. The commission will focus on trade among Pacific countries.

“It is an honor to continue public service through this commission and to carry on the legacy and vision of Lee and Walter Annenberg,” Dreier said in a statement. “I have always believed it is important to overcome barriers between people and nations. We must continue to work tirelessly to promote the free flow of goods, services, capital, ideas and people.”

The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands operates the retreat and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit group established by the Annenberg Foundation. The retreat hosted several high-profile meetings last year for leaders to discuss issues like education and U.S.-Mexico relations.

Geoffrey Cowan, president of the trust, praised Dreier in a statement.

“His decades of leadership in Congress, his role as founding chair of the Congressional Trade Working Group and close relationship with Ambassador and Mrs. Annenberg and the Annenberg family make David Dreier the ideal person to lead this effort to achieve greater international cooperation on trade and related issues,” Cowan said.

First elected in 1980, Dreier served 16 terms in the House, and decided no to run for reelection last year.

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