Kansas City, Mo. ? Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said he wants his department to become more relevant to U.S. businesses and entrepreneurs.

“I truly believe that the Department of Commerce has been a resource that has not been fully used,” said Locke, the former governor of Washington who was confirmed as commerce secretary last month.

Locke said the commerce department has a wide array of tools geared to helping businesses of all sizes.

“We need to figure out how we can make the Department of Commerce much more relevant to Main Street businesses, to those medium- and small-sized companies and to the entrepreneurs of America,” Locke said.

Locke, who spoke to about 100 regional business and civic leaders at the Kauffman Foundation, said he wanted to hear from them to find out what the department could do differently.

Locke was President Obama’s third choice to lead the Commerce Department after his first two nominations withdrew. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson faced questions about state contracts, and Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire changed his mind about working for the president.

Locke said Commerce Department agencies from the U.S. Census to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration could be of use to businesses. But he wanted to “break down the walls” that separate commerce agencies from businesses and “find new pathways to share that information with businesses and the public and entrepreneurs all across America.”