The Washington State Department of Commerce is a state agency in

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. Based in the state's capitol,

Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington. It had a population of 55,605 at the 2020 census, making it the state of Washington's 23rd-most populous city. Olympia is the county seat of Thurston County, and the central city ...

, the agency is responsible for community and economic development. The agency manages several boards and commissions with a focus on businesses, local governments, tribes, and community-based organizations. Mike Fong, the former deputy mayor of

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

and a regional director of the

U.S. Small Business Administration The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent agency of the United States government that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and str ...

, was appointed as head of the department in April 2023. In December 2024, Governor-elect Bob Ferguson appointed State Senator Joe Nguyen to succeed Mike Fong as the agency's director. , the agency had 735 employees and a $8.8 billion budget for the 2024-2025 biennium.

References

State agencies of Washington (state) State departments of commerce of the United States {{Washington-stub