State Rep. Cyrus Habib has been named to the board of directors of Innovate Washington, a public-private partnership that seeks to spur cutting-edge economic development in the state.

“This is a great opportunity for me to continue my work making Washington the No. 1 state for job creation and business innovation,” Habib said.

Habib, D-Kirkland, was appointed to the board March 1 by House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle.

Innovate Washington was created by the Legislature in 2011 to catalyze job creation and 21st-century economic development by bringing together business and government leaders to focus expertise and investment on emerging technology businesses. It applies public and private financing to foster growth in the sectors of aerospace, advanced materials and manufacturing, clean energy, information technology, agriculture and life sciences.

Habib, a first-term legislator, is a lawyer at Perkins Coie in Seattle who specializes in providing legal services to high-tech startups.