Jim Hock is Chief of Staff to Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Most recently, Jim served for more than a year as Senior Advisor and Director of Public Affairs at the Department. In that position, Jim led the Department’s efforts to engage the news media and the general public, and was instrumental in creating and framing the Department of Commerce's “Open for Business Agenda” for a wide audience. Jim advised the Secretary on all public affairs and strategic communications issues, coordinated public affairs efforts for the agency’s 12 bureaus and more than 40,000 employees, and served as a liaison to the White House and other federal agencies on public information matters.

Prior to joining the Department, Jim founded 463 Communications, a communications agency for technology and clean energy firms within the Next 15 family of companies. As partner at 463, Jim worked with clients, including some of the most premier U.S. brands in technology, to drive critical discussions on policy, communications, digital media and marketing.

Before starting 463, Jim served as Bite Communications' Director of Technology Policy Communications and as spokesman and advisor to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. He has also served as the President of the Northern Virginia Democratic Business Council and has worked on more than 20 political campaigns and initiatives. In addition, Jim worked as a legislative assistant for the City of Los Angeles and a high school teacher as a Jesuit Volunteer for at-risk youth in East Los Angeles.

Jim has an M.A. in Public Policy from Georgetown University and a B.A. from Fordham University in New York City. Jim and his wife, Kellie, live in Arlington, Virginia and have two children.