LGBT's push Fred Hochberg for Commerce Secretary
Tue. February 24, 2009 12:00 AM by GoPride.com News Staff
Washington, D.C. -
Equal Rep, a national grassroots organization based in Boston, has made efforts to convince President Obama to name Fred Hochberg as Commerce Secretary.
The Commerce Secretary post remains unfilled after New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) withdrew their names from consideration.
Richardson withdrew amid disclosures that a grand jury was investigating the awarding of state contracts in New Mexico. Gregg, a Republican, withdrew citing "irresolvable conflicts" with the Obama administration.
Former Washington Gov. Gary Locke, the nation's first Chinese American governor, is reportedly on the shortlist for the cabinet position.
Although he has been tapped to become Chair of the Export-Import Bank, Equal Rep says that Hochberg would be better utilized as Commerce Secretary.
If nominated and confirmed, Hochberg would be the first openly gay person to serve in a cabinet.
Hochberg has more than 25 years of experience in business, government, civil rights activities, and philanthropy. From 1998 through 2000, he served as deputy then acting administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), an agency elevated to cabinet rank by President Bill Clinton. He also served on President Clinton's Management Council.
Hochberg is also an Agency Review team leader on President-elect Obama's transition team. He has served on the boards of Playwrights Horizon, the Wolfsonian Art Museum, and on the Democratic National Committee. And he was appointed Dean of the Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy in 2003.
From 1994 to 1998, Fred Hochberg worked as founder and president of Heyday Company, a private investment firm managing real estate, stock market investments, and venture capital projects. Prior to that, he was president and chief operating officer of the Lillian Vernon Corporation, where he led the transformation of a small family mail order company into a publicly traded direct marketing corporation.
The Commerce Secretary post remains unfilled after New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) withdrew their names from consideration.
Richardson withdrew amid disclosures that a grand jury was investigating the awarding of state contracts in New Mexico. Gregg, a Republican, withdrew citing "irresolvable conflicts" with the Obama administration.
Former Washington Gov. Gary Locke, the nation's first Chinese American governor, is reportedly on the shortlist for the cabinet position.
Although he has been tapped to become Chair of the Export-Import Bank, Equal Rep says that Hochberg would be better utilized as Commerce Secretary.
If nominated and confirmed, Hochberg would be the first openly gay person to serve in a cabinet.
Hochberg has more than 25 years of experience in business, government, civil rights activities, and philanthropy. From 1998 through 2000, he served as deputy then acting administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), an agency elevated to cabinet rank by President Bill Clinton. He also served on President Clinton's Management Council.
Hochberg is also an Agency Review team leader on President-elect Obama's transition team. He has served on the boards of Playwrights Horizon, the Wolfsonian Art Museum, and on the Democratic National Committee. And he was appointed Dean of the Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy in 2003.
From 1994 to 1998, Fred Hochberg worked as founder and president of Heyday Company, a private investment firm managing real estate, stock market investments, and venture capital projects. Prior to that, he was president and chief operating officer of the Lillian Vernon Corporation, where he led the transformation of a small family mail order company into a publicly traded direct marketing corporation.