Personnel Notes

Gary Locke formally resigned as Commerce secretary Monday to become the first Chinese-American to serve as U.S. ambassador to China. 

The Senate confirmed Locke on Wednesday after more than two years at the helm of the Commerce Department. He replaces Republican Jon Huntsman, who has entered the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Locke previously served as governor of Washington for two terms.

During his tenure at Commerce, Locke has been primarily focused on boosting U.S. exports, particularly to emerging Asian powers China and India. He heads to Beijing at a time when concerns over the U.S. deficit have added tension to the increasingly intertwined economic relationship between the two nations.

“From Asia to South America to Ohio and Iowa, I have met with foreign leaders, CEOs, inventors and small business owners. Throughout my travels, I have seen the worldwide appeal of American products and the ingenuity of the American people," Locke said.

The K Street firm Van Scoyoc Associates has hired Gen. James Jones to lead a new advisory board. 

Jones, a former Marine who served as national security adviser to President Obama, will not register to lobby for Van Scoyoc, the firm said. He will instead head up the advisory panel, which was established to assist and counsel Van Scoyoc Companies about “strategic planning,” business options and client-service enhancements, the firm said.

Van Scoyoc also named Arthur Culvahouse Jr. and Mary Howell to the board. Culvahouse is a former White House counsel to President Reagan and is chair of the international law firm O’Melveny & Myers. Howell is the former executive vice president of Textron Inc.

The number of former lobbyists working for lawmakers more than doubled between the 111th and 112th Congresses, according to a study released Wednesday.

The 112th Congress employs 128 former lobbyists in significant staff positions, up from 60 in the last Congress, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Of the former lobbyists currently employed in significant positions on Capitol Hill, the Center found more staff working for Republicans and many working in some capacity for committees they used to interact with as lobbyists.

Jack Quinn, co-founder and chairman of Quinn Gillespie & Associates, has joined the board of directors for Xe Services.

Former Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind.) has a joined a major public relations and lobby firm.

Hill will be a senior vice president in APCO Worldwide’s government relations practice and a member of the firm’s international advisory council.

“Baron brings fresh insights from one of the most pivotal recent congressional sessions,” Robert Schooling, APCO’s president of its Americas division, said in a statement. “He has engaged firsthand in health care policy and reform, written and contributed to valuable energy legislation and driven new fiscal regulation to lower the national deficit. Baron knows how to get things done in government, and his passion and expertise will be an invaluable resource to our team and clientele.” 

The former senator worked at the law firm from 2003 to 2008 before joining the Obama administration.

Former Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and one-time White House chief of staff Andy Card have joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s campaign against burdensome regulations. 

Bayh and Card will travel around the United States to provide a “bipartisan message on regulatory reform” through speeches, events and media appearances, according to a memo that was obtained by the Center for Public Integrity.

The chamber enlisted Bayh and Card as part of a larger campaign to promote regulatory relief, according to a June 2 memo from Chamber President Tom Donohue. 

The anti-regulatory effort will focus on regulatory relief, broadening regulatory reform and highlighting “the dangers and costs of overregulation.” Uncertainty caused by these regulations are why “employers are reluctant to hire and why we’re witnessing the weakest recovery from a recession since World War II,” Donohue said in the memo.

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The chairman of President's Council of Economic Advisers is returning to the University of Chicago.

A former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee has moved from creating policy to lobbying on it. 

Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.) has joined Gephardt Government Affairs as senior counsel. The firm was founded by former Majority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.).

Obey served for 41 years in the House of Representatives and spent six years as chairman of the Appropriations Committee, which determines federal spending. He retired from Congress last year.

"I could not be more thrilled to welcome Dave to the firm,” Gephardt, the firm’s president, said in a statement. “I’ve long admired his ability to negotiate, problem-solve and develop legislative strategy: He will be an incredible asset to our team."

Former Republican Sen. Judd Gregg is joining the investment bank Goldman Sachs as an international adviser.