Yakima's Brian Bonlender was tapped this week by Governor Jay Inslee to be the state's new Commerce Department director.

Bonlender served as Inslee's chief-of-staff and legislative director, running the congressman's office and acting as his primary advisor on economic issues. He worked on legislation and policy in a range of industries including agriculture, life sciences, information technology, aerospace, maritime and clean energy. Bonlender brings nearly 20 years of public and private experience to his new post, including as a regulatory compliance consultant for industries across the state and as an advisor to a clean tech startup. Most recently, Bonlender served as director of Inslee's transition team.

Bonlender was a guest Thursday on KIT's Mike Bastinelli show. He talked about his new position, and what expects in the future for Washington State.

Click this player to listen to the interview.

Visit the Washington State Department of Commerce webpage here.

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