Locke To Keep 3 Lowry Advisers

Gov. Gary Locke, who has kept many of predecessor Mike Lowry’s cabinet directors, announced Friday he’ll reappoint three more holdovers.

Locke said Maj. Gen. Greg Barlow will continue to head the Military Department, John Bley will serve a new term as director of financial institutions and Beau Bergeron will stay on at Veterans Affairs.

Barlow commands the Washington Air and Army National Guard and directs the state Emergency Management Division. Bergeron, a retired Army colonel, served two combat tours in Vietnam.

Bley was an attorney and supervisor of the state Division of Banking before becoming the first director of the Department of Financial Institutions when it was created by the Legislature in 1993.