Jim Leonard, who served as deputy assistant secretary for textiles and apparel in the International Trade Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce from 2002 to 2006, met with students during an International Business Transactions course at the law school Wednesday, Feb. 13. Leonard discussed the history of international trade agreements with students and the various national interests that often play a crucial role in trade negotiations.
Leonard has a wealth of experience in international trade, spending 20 years in that area at Burlington Industries. He held a variety of senior level positions, including director of government relations and manager of economic analysis. Leonard spent a total of 34 years with Burlington before working as an international trade consultant in 2001.
Leonard has advised the government on textile bilateral and multilateral trade issues, and was active as an adviser in negotiations for the NAFTA and WTO agreements.
He was named to Textile World Magazine's "Top 10" list for service and dedication to the textile industry in the magazine's February 2001 issue.
