Deseret News | Jeff Flake brings deep experience, love of Utah to new global trade post
Photo credit: Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
By ART RAYMOND
[Jeff] Flake’s myriad and long-running ties to Utah, decades of public service and deep international bonafides make one of his latest endeavors — taking on the post of board chair for World Trade Center Utah — feel like a fait accompli.
Flake said initial conversations about the position were posed during separate visits by WTC Utah executives, including current president and CEO Jonathan Freedman and Freedman’s predecessor Miles Hansen, while Flake was still serving his diplomatic mission in Turkey, which concluded earlier this month.
Then, during a trip back to the states over last year’s holiday break, Flake met with Freedman and former Utah governor and three-time U.S. ambassador Jon Huntsman Jr., who was serving as WTC Utah’s board chair at the time. While Flake initially balked at the idea, he said last winter’s pitch by Freedman and Huntsman was a clincher.
“We were back home from Turkey for Christmas, spent some time in Utah and went to meet Jonathan and Jon and they pitched the idea,” Flake said. “These are guys that are tough to say no to.”
But while the job offer was recent, the work and mission of WTC Utah had long been on Flake’s radar, thanks in part to his friendship with organization co-founder and former WTC Utah president and CEO Lew Cramer, who Flake met during his Beltway days. Huntsman recruited Cramer, an international business consultant and former U.S. Department of Commerce official, to help found WTC Utah in 2006. Adding to the network of connections, the Flake and Huntsman families are longtime friends as is Zions Bank veteran Scott Anderson, who was a founding member of WTC Utah and served as board chair for over a decade.
“Having served in both the U.S. Senate and as ambassador to Türkiye, Jeff Flake brings unparalleled expertise in global policy and economic diplomacy.”
Huntsman, who over his career has served as U.S. ambassador to Singapore, China and Russia, said Flake’s combination of political and diplomatic experience made him the perfect candidate to head WTC Utah’s board.
“Having served in both the U.S. Senate and as ambassador to Türkiye, Jeff Flake brings unparalleled expertise in global policy and economic diplomacy,” Huntsman said in a statement. “His deep understanding of international relations and proven ability to foster cross-border partnerships will be critical as we continue to position Utah as a leader in global commerce.”
World Trade Center Utah is a private, nonprofit organization that works to accelerate growth for Utah companies through global networks, programs and services. Its stated mission is to “make Utah the crossroads of the world, one business at a time.”
Flake said his experience as a diplomat heightened his appreciation of the importance of international partnerships. He touted U.S. Commercial Services, a federal agency previously headed by Cramer, that carries out work similar to WTC Utah, but on a national scale.
“This is an agency that’s championing U.S. businesses abroad ... advocating for relationships and connections all over the world,” Flake said.
