Secretary Gary Locke welcomed former Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez to the Commerce Department today for the unveiling of his official portrait. Speaking at the ceremony attended by Gutierrez’s friends, family and former colleagues, Locke thanked the 35th Secretary of Commerce for the guidance he gave him when Locke became Secretary and honored him for his many achievements during his tenure.

Gutierrez served under President George W. Bush from February 2005 to January 2009. During his government service, he was the administration’s point person on comprehensive immigration reform, DR-CAFTA and the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, and he co-chaired the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba. He also led many high-level trade missions, including the first-ever domestic trade mission to the Gulf region in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Before coming to Commerce, Gutierrez was chairman and CEO of the Kellogg Company.

Also in attendance at the ceremony were former Commerce Secretaries Barbara Franklin, Norman Mineta and Don Evans, as well as Congressman John Dingell. Gutierrez’s former Executive Assistant, Pat Thorne, sang the national anthem.

Gutierrez now serves on the board of trustees for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Bipartisan Debt Reduction Task Force.