Brooks D. Ohlson

Sacramento CITD Director,
Honorary Consul General of Bulgaria

Brooks Ohlson is currently the Director of the Sacramento Regional Center for International Trade Development and the California Mexico Trade Center a program funded and created by the California Community College Chancellors Office. Mr. Ohlson previously worked for 8 years as the Executive Director of the Northern California World Trade Center (NCWTC), and as the Executive Director of the US State Departments International Visitors Program for the Sacramento region.  During the past 8 years, Mr. Ohlson developed and hosted over 200 international business conferences, workshops and training seminars with a total attendance of over 11,000 persons.  He created over $3million in public and private sector funding to operate the WTC, NCIV and the Bulgarian Consulate during that period. 

Amongst his accomplishments are the creation of the largest annual international diplomatic luncheon in the state, the largest China USA Business Conference in the USA (2005) and moving the WTC to amongst the top 5 in the U.S.A. as well as earning the WTC the prestigious President’s of the United States E Award for outstanding export service program and organization (2004).

Mr. Ohlson retired in December 1997 as the District Director for the U.S. Department of Commerce Commercial Service in Sacramento.  Prior to that appointment he served for 8 years as the Regional Director of the South Western Regional office of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, Los Angeles.

Mr. Ohlson served as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer for the Foreign Commercial Service from 1983 to 1988, serving principally in Scandinavia.  Following his return he served as an instructor and evaluator for the Department of Commerce Foreign Service selection panel and made frequent trips to Europe, the Middle East and Asia for the Department's non-proliferation offices in partnership with the DOD, CIA and US Customs.