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Secretary of Commerce and Trade Patrick O. Gottschalk

On January 15, 2006, Patrick O. Gottschalk was appointed by Governor Tim Kaine as the Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia.  The Commerce and Trade Secretariat includes 13 government agencies dealing with such issues as promoting statewide economic growth, community development, attracting and retaining business, promoting the State’s tourism, racing and film industries, addressing the need for moderate and low income housing, regulating professions, ensuring safe workplaces, pursuing international markets for Virginia products, developing and conserving energy and mineral resources, administering the State’s unemployment compensation program and funding infrastructure projects for localities.

Secretary Gottschalk was formerly a partner in the corporate and international sections of the law firm of Cantor Arkema, P.C. in Richmond, Virginia.  His practice focused primarily on corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, international business transactions, financing transactions, and economic development projects.  He also served as counsel to the Virginia Economic Developers Association and was an ex officio member of the Board of Directors of VEDA.  Secretary Gottschalk also served on the Economic Development Committee of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to joining the Kaine Administration, Secretary Gottschalk was very active in the economic development community and participated in several domestic and international trade missions with a variety of former Governors.  Secretary Gottschalk has also closed economic development projects throughout the State.

Secretary Gottschalk graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1983. While at UVA, he served on the editorial board of The Virginia Journal of International Law. His undergraduate degree, granted in 1975, is from the United States Naval Academy. Upon graduation, he served as a naval officer for five years with assignments aboard the USS Harry E. Yarnell and at the University of Virginia as an NROTC instructor.