Sam is the director of the Center of Excellence for Global Trade and Supply Chain Management, which connects industry and education in Washington around workforce development issues. The Center maintains data on the industry, including how many jobs, where they’re located and the average wage; organizes a Follow the Supply Chain Study Abroad program; and has worked with colleges around the state on global trade and logistics curriculum. Sam also publishes the weekly newsletter, International Need to Know and wrote a book about China and America—Challenging China: Smart Strategies for Dealing with China in the Xi Jinping Era-- that was published by Tuttle Publishing on April 6, 2021. He is president of Gittes Global, an international trade and strategy consulting company. In 20 years at the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle, the last five as president, Sam was engaged in promoting, connecting and educating the Greater Seattle region internationally for trade and business. He wrote and co-produced the short film about customer service, Please Hold, and is author of the novel, Munsrat Lives.

Anneliese Vance-Sherman is the Chief Labor Economist for the Washington State Employment Security Department – a position she has held for nearly 3 years. Prior to this role, she served as a regional economist for over 13 years, covering the local labor markets in Northwest Washington and the Seattle area. Anneliese works closely with economic and workforce development partners, the media, and others, providing labor market intelligence to inform strategic decision-making. In addition to her work with the state, Anneliese serves on several boards and advisory groups, including the Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Conference, the Seattle Economics Council, the Clean Energy Technology Workforce Advisory Council, and the Skagit Population Health Trust. She has also served on several educational advisory committees for Washington K-12 institutions, colleges, and universities. Prior to state service, Anneliese was a visiting fellow at the Border Policy Research Institute and instructor at the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University. Anneliese has a Ph.D. in economic geography and a master’s degree in economics, both from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology at SUNY College at Geneseo.