Career
Punke is a partner at the Monument Policy Group, a government affairs and strategic consulting firm, where he manages its Seattle office, in addition to serving as a partner in its District of Columbia office. He is an expert on issues relating to trade, tax, health care, public lands, intellectual property, and corporate responsibility. Prior to joining Monument Policy Group, Punke served as chief international trade counsel to the Senate Finance Committee.
While on the committee, Punke was responsible for the communications and press strategy for international issues.
Punke also served at the White House National Economic Council, where he worked on a diverse range of economic and development issues. Punke helped drive the interagency effort to implement China’s accession to the World Trade Organization.
Punke also helped prepare for and staff the president’s participation in the 1999 World Trade Organization Ministerial in Seattle, and the 2000 G7/G8 summit in Okinawa, Japan. He was also a law clerk to Judge Sidney Thomas of the United States. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
He was a state director for the 2000 Gore-Lieberman campaign, and has been involved in numerous presidential, congressional, and local campaigns.
He currently serves on the steering committee for the New Democrat Caucus. In addition to appearing as a witness at Congressional hearings, Punke is a frequent media commentator on both Cable News Network and Fox News. In July 2010, Punke was named by the Puget Sound Business Journal as "40 Under 40 Shining Stars.
" He sits on the Board of Seattle Art Museum and the Washington Council on International Trade, and also chairs the Executive Committee of the United States.-Japan Young Leadership Program.
Punke received both his Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University.
