About NAAG
Rob McKenna (R)
Washington Attorney General
Elected: 2004, 2008
1125 Washington St. SE, PO Box 40100, Olympia, WA 98504-0100
(360) 753-6200
http://www.atg.wa.gov/
Rob McKenna is serving his second term as Washington's 17th Attorney General. As the state's chief legal officer, he directs more than 500 attorneys and 700 professional staff providing legal services to state agencies, the Governor and Legislature.
A national leader, McKenna is 2011-12 President of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG). He won the 2011 NAAG Kelley-Wyman Award for his dedication and leadership in NAAG, having served in a number of leadership roles, including:
Vice-President (2009-2010)
Executive Committee (2005-06, 2008-present)
State-Federal Task Force on Mortgage Enforcement Co-chair (2009-present)
Environment and Energy Committee Co-chair (2009-2010)
Intellectual Property Committee Co-chair (2009-2010)
Tobacco Committee Co-chair (2006-2009)
Tobacco Strategic Planning Committee member (2006-present)
Best Practices Task Force member (2009-present)
Prescription Drug Abuse Working Group member (2009-present)
Mission Foundation, Board of Directors & Investment Committee (2009-present)
Financial Practices Committee Co-Chair (2005-06)
General McKenna’s 2011-12 Presidential Initiative for NAAG is "Pillars of Hope: Attorneys General United Against Human Trafficking." As Washington's Attorney General, his ongoing priorities are:
Making communities safer by leading the state in fighting meth and prescription drug abuse, gang violence, human trafficking, sexual predators and domestic violence
Protecting consumers and businesses from identity theft, internet predators, fraud and high-tech crimes, such as cyber fraud, phishing and spyware
Promoting integrity in government by defending the state’s laws, implementing new performance management initiatives in his office and encouraging open access to government
In 2005, he launched Operation: Allied Against Meth and passed a comprehensive new statewide methamphetamine initiative in the Legislature. He presented his anti-meth presentation to nearly 35,000 students in more than 60 schools across Washington. McKenna also granted funds from prescription drug settlements to help underwrite a youth track at the Washington Prevention Summit in 2008 and 2009, and partnered with the DSHS Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery to plan and implement a Spring Prevention Forum in 2009 and 2010 where youth share their prevention programs with their peers.
Attorney General McKenna convened the first statewide Identity Theft Conference, co-founded the Law Enforcement Group Against Identity Theft (LEGIT), passed legislation allowing citizens to freeze access to their credit before they become victims of ID theft, and conducted an award-winning multi-city Guard it! Washington tour to help businesses and consumers learn how to protect themselves from fraud.
McKenna has been a national leader in combating mortgage and foreclosure fraud. He co-chaired NAAG’s Financial Practices Committee from 2005-2007, helping lead cases against subprime lenders that resulted in the largest consumer protection settlements in national history. In June 2010, he was named to the Board of Advisors of the Stanford University Center for the Study of Financial Fraud. He continues to serve on President Obama’s Financial Fraud Task Force and two of its subcommittees.
Under AG McKenna’s leadership, the Office of the Attorney General was the first state agency to implement a performance management plan that rewards high-performing employees who achieve rigorous goals. He has also updated the state’s public records law and developed model rules for public disclosure and electronic records.
McKenna has won all three of the cases he has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, defending voter-adopted laws on campaign finance reform, the top-two primary election system and the state public records law.
During his tenure as attorney general, AG McKenna has received numerous honors and awards including:
NAAG Kelley-Wyman Award, 2011;
Eastside Domestic Violence Program's Norm Maleng Award, 2010;
UW Dept. of Economics Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2010;
The Family Online Safety Institute's Outstanding Achievement Award, 2009;
NAAG’s Distinguished Service Award, 2009;
One of Security Magazine's Top 25 Most Influential People in the Security Industry, 2008;
Washington State PTSA “Friend of Children” Award, 2008;
IKeepSafe Internet Safety Award, 2008;
Aspen Institute Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership, 2006-present;
Washington State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President's Award, 2007;
Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Freedom's Light Award, 2007;
Key Award Winner by the Washington Coalition for Open Government, 2007;
Honorary Farmer by the Farmer Consumer Awareness Committee, 2007;
WomenSpirit Coalition Envision Award for work on domestic violence issues, 2007;
King County Washington Women Lawyers' Special Contribution to the Judiciary Award, 2007;
One of Washington CEO Magazine’s Most Amazing Attorneys of 2006;
One of Seattle Magazine’s 26 Most Influential People in Seattle, 2006;
Outstanding Leader of the Year by the Eastside Domestic Violence Program, 2006; and
Distinguished Eagle Award Winner by the Boy Scouts of America, 2005.
McKenna received his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 1988, where he was a member of the Law Review. He earned a B.A. in Economics and a B.A. in International Studies, both with honors, from the University of Washington. McKenna was student body president at the U.W. and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He has been an attorney since 1988, beginning his career in the Bellevue office of Perkins Coie, one of the nation's top 50 law firms, where he practiced business and regulatory law from 1988 to 1996.
In 1995, McKenna was elected to the Metropolitan King County Council. He was re-elected twice without opposition and was twice rated "Outstanding" by the Municipal League.
A committed community leader, McKenna has raised hundreds of thousands for the Eastside Domestic Violence Program and the Bellevue Schools Foundation (where he served two terms as president). An Eagle Scout himself, McKenna continues to serve as a board member with the Chief Seattle Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Washington State Army Advisory Board and the Bellevue Community College Foundation (where he served as president in 2009-2010).
McKenna, his wife Marilyn and their four children reside in Bellevue.
