News

State Dept. Int'l Economic Diplomacy Roundtable

Jun 25, 2015

KANSAS CITY, MO, USA - On July 1st, World Trade Center Kansas City will be hosting a business and congressional round table featuring Mr. Kurt Tong and Congressman Kevin Yoder. The discussion will be an opportunity for local business participants to hear firsthand the State Department’s focus on the strategic importance of trade in the 21st century and the local, national, and international necessity of a robust trade agenda.

Kurt Tong has served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the Department of State since July 2014. Before joining the Bureau, Mr. Tong served for three years as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Tokyo, Japan. Prior to his time in Tokyo, he was the U.S. Ambassador for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), managing all aspects of U.S. participation in APEC, while concurrently serving as the Economic Coordinator for the State Department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, organizing bureau-wide efforts on economic policy.

Congressman Kevin Yoder represents the Third Congressional District of Kansas, which includes Johnson County, Wyandotte County and the northeast corner of Miami County. In 2015, Kevin returned to the House Appropriations Committee after being sworn in for his third term in the House of Representatives, serving as the Vice Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee. He also serves on the Agriculture Subcommittee and Financial Services Subcommittee, focusing on balancing the federal budget, reducing the national debt, and supporting policies that help private sector job growth. Prior to being elected to Congress, Kevin represented Leawood and Overland Park as a Representative in the Kansas State Legislature, where he chaired the House Appropriations Committee.

To learn more about WTC Kansas City, click on the source link below:

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