(NNPA)—President-elect Barack Obama continued his history-making cabinet appointments when he selected former Dallas mayor Ron Kirk as the first Black U.S. Trade Representative.

Kirk, 54, was introduced by Obama at a news conference in Chicago where the president-elect also introduced Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., as labor secretary, Rep. Ray Lahood, R-Ill., as transportation secretary and Susan Mills as administrator of the Small Business Administration.

As mayor of Dallas, Kirk was a “man who helped steer one of the world’s largest economies,” Obama said.

“We know that the success of American businesses, small and large, depends on their ability to sell their products across the globe,” Obama added. “That is why we must engage in strong, robust trade and open doors for American products. But I also believe that any trade agreement we must sign must be written not just with the interests of big corporations in mind, but with the interests of our whole nation and our workers at heart.”

Obama said that “Ron Kirk understands this better than just about anyone.”

Kirk is a partner in the Dallas office of the Houston-based powerhouse law and lobbying firm Vinson & Elkins. The May 28 edition of the The National Law Journal named Kirk, as well as attorney general-designate Eric Holder, one of “50 of the most influential minority attorneys in the nation.”

Kirk was overwhelmingly elected in 1995 as the first African-American mayor of Dallas. He won again by a wide margin in 1999. He resigned in 2001 to run as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Phil Gramm but he was defeated by Republican John Cornyn.

During his tenure as mayor, Kirk gained a reputation as a consensus-builder among the city’s conservative business establishment and its activist Black and Mexican-American communities.

RON KIRK

He was a “superb trade emissary to the world” for the region and a gifted negotiator who focused on trade with Canada and Mexico, said Jan Hart Black, president of the Dallas Regional Chamber.

“He’s got a real-world appreciation for the importance of trade to the economy,” John Murphy, vice president for international affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, told the Associated Press.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative negotiates with foreign governments to create trade agreements, resolve disputes and participate in global trade policy organizations. They also meet with governments, business groups, legislators and public interest groups to gather input on trade issues and explain the presidential administration’s policy positions.

Kirk’s title will be ambassador and Obama, unlike other administrations, has elevated the U.S. Trade Representative to a cabinet level position as he did with Susan Rice, U.N. Ambassador-designate.

“During his tenure as mayor, Ron brought different groups together to create jobs, invest in the community and spur economic growth,” said Obama. “As a leader, negotiator and principled proponent of trade, Ron will help make sure that any agreements I sign as president protects the rights of all workers promote the interests of all Americans and preserve the planet we share.”

“He’s got a real-world appreciation for the importance of trade to the economy.”

In accepting the nomination, Kirk said, “As the mayor of Dallas, the city was in the crosshairs of international trade. We will have trade that will create jobs at home and opportunities overseas. America is open for business and I will work to promote a pro-trade policy.”

Kirk, a native of Austin, Texas, is the son of the late Lee Kirk, the city’s first Black mailman and Willie Mae, a retired educator who is now a political activist in the city’s predominantly Black East section.

A graduate of John H. Reagan High School in integrated northeast Austin, he served as president of the school’s student council when racial tensions were high in the early ‘70s.

He attended Austin College in Sherman, Texas, at a time when it had few Black students. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he attended the University of Texas where he received his juris doctorate in 1979.

Kirk practiced law for two years before working for Sen. Lloyd Bentsen as a legislative assistant in 1981 in Washington, D.C. In 1983, he returned to Texas to lobby the state legislature on behalf of the city of Dallas and later with a law firm.

In 1994, he was appointed secretary of state by Gov. Ann Richards, becoming the first Black male to hold the position.

Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, who represents much of minority-populated South Dallas, watched Kirk during his years as mayor and was impressed.

“I have known Ron Kirk since he was a young man, and I could not be prouder of him than I am today,” Johnson said of Kirk’s appointment. “Ron is a man who brings people together and gets things done, and I know that he will bring his estimable intelligence to his new role.”

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas’ senior senator, also praised Obama’s selection of Kirk.

“I congratulate my friend Ron Kirk for his nomination to be the U.S. Trade Representative,” Hutchison said. “During his term as mayor, he led trade missions on behalf of Dallas and understands the importance of free and fair trade for economic and political alliances.”