United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk has announced that Gail Strickler has been
chosen as the new Assistant USTR for Textiles. In her new role, Strickler will supervise
negotiations affecting textile and apparel products, advise Ambassador Kirk on textile and trade
policy matters, and will work to expand the industry’s access to foreign markets.
After receiving a B.A. from Worcester, Mass.-based Clark University, followed by coursework
in textile technology and textile chemistry from the New York City-based Fashion Institute of
Technology, Strickler worked for Saxon Textile Corp. for 26 years. She began her Saxon career as a
product development manager and through promotions became vice president, president and eventually
CEO. After Saxon was acquired by Fall River, Mass.-based Duro Textile LLC in 2007, Strickler became
vice president of the company’s Global Apparel Division. Strickler has experience in global and
domestic sourcing and has covered all aspects of the textile and apparel industry.
Strickler most recently served as associate director for the Institute for Textiles and
Apparel Product Safety at Philadelphia University’s College of Textiles and Sciences. Additionally,
she spent five years as president of the Textiles Distributors Association, served on the Board of
Directors of the National Council of Textile Organizations for five years, and has served as a
board member for the US Department of Agriculture’s Cotton Board since 2002.
“I am pleased to announce Gail Strickler as USTR’s new Assistant United States Trade
Representative for Textiles,” said Ambassador Kirk. ” She brings a wealth of knowledge to this
position and will be able to immediately address pertinent textiles and apparel related issues.
Gail will play a pivotal role in helping the US Trade Representative’s office and the industries
adapt to a trade environment that has undergone significant changes in the recent past, and to
exploring new market opportunities.”
September 15, 2009
