Dwayne A. Gathers

Gathers Strategies, Inc. was founded by Dwayne A. Gathers, its President and Chief Executive Officer.  Dwayne possesses over two decades of rich and diverse professional experiences and relationships, both in the private and public sectors and both domestically and internationally.

Prior to founding Gathers Strategies, Dwayne served as Regional Manager for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), directing the LAEDC’s business attraction, expansion and retention efforts over a diverse region, encompassing many diverse communities across the City of Los Angeles.  He advised,  assisted and advocated on behalf of a wide range of businesses on issues affecting their ability to expand and succeed — including site selection, land use, tax incentives, business taxes, access to capital, government regulations, and workforce training and development.  In performing his responsibilities, he collaborated with other business organizations, city agencies and government officials on economic development policy considerations affecting specific companies as well as the overall business climate of the region.  Dwayne was selected to participate in and is a graduate of the Leadership Southern California Class of 2007 and served on the Workforce Investment Board for the City of Los Angeles.  Dwayne’s expertise and involvement in economic development was developed during his service as a Special Assistant in the Office of Community Planning and Development at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C.

Global issues and involvement have been of longstanding interest to Dwayne since his participation in a Language Study Abroad program in Blois, France while at college.  Prior to joining the LAEDC, Dwayne developed an extensive background in international affairs, trade and business development over a fifteen year period.  He managed his own international trade development consulting practice, based in San Francisco, working with smaller to midsized companies and foreign trade development clients seeking to develop business and partnerships in the US.  He was appointed by the Governor of California as the first ever Director of the State of California’s newly created Office of Trade and Investment for Sub-Sahara Africa and resided in Johannesburg, South Africa from 1995 to 2000.  Previously, he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for African Affairs at the US State Department in Washington, D.C.   His Washington experience also saw him managing issues and Capitol Hill relationships on behalf of domestic clients with international issues and concerns and foreign governmental clients.

In addition to issues of trade, investment and economic development, Dwayne has participated in various leadership, democracy building and education exchange missions internationally, including to Morocco, Viet Nam and Jordan; served on a US pre-election assessment team to Haiti; was a consultant to the South Africa Democracy Support project funded by the US Agency for International Development; and served as a United Nations Election Observer for South Africa’s first all-race elections in April 1994.

Dwayne has recently been elected to serve as President of the Board of the International Visitors Council of Los Angeles (http://www.ivcla.org).

Dwayne began his professional career in finance, completing the Management Training program with Chemical Bank in New York City before going on to become a Corporate Banking Officer in the bank’s Energy & Minerals Division, serving clients primarily in the metals and mining sectors. 

A graduate of Deerfield Academy (1980) in Massachusetts, Dwayne has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Alumni Association and on its Board of Trustees.  He graduated from Dartmouth College (1984) with an A.B. in Government and Economics.