Veteran U.S. politician, former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and BYU alumnus Jeff Flake has just been named the new board chairman for World Trade Center Utah.
The Arizona native and father of five children recently became a resident of Utah following the end of his ambassadorship earlier this month.
“I’m thrilled to join WTC Utah,” Flake said in a press release. “Utah has strong global partnerships, and its innovative business ecosystem and entrepreneurial spirit create opportunities for international expansion. I’m confident that we can enhance Utah’s position as a key player in the global economy and create lasting opportunities for business across the state.”
In 2000, Flake won a seat as a Republican representing Arizona in the U.S. House of Representatives and served six consecutive terms before heading to the upper house as an Arizona senator, where he served a six-year term from 2013 to 2019. While a senator, Flake served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology & the Law as well as chairing the Africa Subcommittee of the Foreign Relations Committee. In 2021, Flake was appointed the U.S. ambassador to Turkey by President Joe Biden, where he served in that diplomatic role until Sept. 1 of this year.