Secretary of State Kim Wyman has appointed Assistant Attorney General Tsering Cornell as director of the Washington State Division of Corporations & Charities.

Cornell succeeds Pam Floyd, a 15-year veteran of the Office of Secretary of State, who is retiring to her home state of Wyoming.

Cornell has been the Assistant Attorney General for the office and has worked closely with the Corporations Division.

Wyman said:

“We are delighted to have Tsering on board. She is a natural fit for this busy and important division. She will bring energy and creativity to the task and will emphasize great customer service for the hundreds of thousands of Washington businesses and charities we serve.

“I also want to commend Pam Floyd for a job well done. As she turns over the reins, the division is in excellent shape and I constantly get compliments for the efficient and friendly handling of filings and inquiries.”

The Corporations Division handles filings for for-profit corporations, nonprofits, new formations, and LLCs. Last year, the division handled filings from over 460,000 active businesses, received annual reports from more than 370,000 and handled nearly 63,000 new formations or registrations. Staffers handled over 150,000 phone calls and 85,000 pieces of mail/email. The division also handles filings for charities and charity solicitors, and has an outreach and education program.

Cornell was cheered by division staffers when she was introduced as their new leader on Thursday. Cornell noted that she had already met and worked with many of the employees and is excited to join such a smart and hard-working crew. She noted that a brand-new computer system will be launched later this year and make filing even easier for customers.

Cornell joined Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office three years ago and has represented a variety of state agencies, including OSOS, Department of Retirement Systems, Board for Volunteer Fire Fighters, Citizen Salary Commission for Elected Officials, Board of Tax Appeals and Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board.

In 2015, Ferguson awarded Cornell the William V. Tanner award for outstanding achievement early in her career.  Cornell serves on the Washington State Bar Committee for Diversity and volunteers as a member of United States District Court Western District of Washington Pro Bono Panel.

Prior to joining the AGO, she was an associate in the Business group at Cooley LLP, where she advised a variety of corporate clients, including investors and companies through all stages of a company’s life cycle – from incorporation, to rounds of financing, and through IPO, merger or acquisition.

Cornell holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Alliant International University and taught 10^th grade World History prior to attending law school. She is a graduate of the University of California Hastings School of Law and Dartmouth College.