Jon Bensky is the National Center’s part time Senior Commercial Advisor.  Jon’s presence on the Center’s staff is thanks to a renewed partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce.  Jon, who lives in Seattle, retired from the Senior Foreign Commercial Service in 2008, after 34 years of service.  He spent 25 years in South and Southeast Asia including 16 years as Senior Commercial Officer in charge of the Commerce Department offices in the U.S. embassies in Malaysia, the Philippines, India and Singapore.  He also served as Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Mission to the European Union in Brussels. 

Jon has a BA in Economics from Oakland University and an MA in Economics from the University of Hawaii/East West Center.  His languages have included Nepali, Hindi, Tamil, Bahasa Malaysia and French.  His priority focus while with the National Center will be on small and medium enterprise issues of importance to the U.S. private sector, the APEC Business Advisory Council and the APEC SME portfolio.