Honoree: APIASF “Inspiring Dreams” Award
Norman Y. Mineta
Former United States Secretary of Transportation and Commerce and Vice Chairman, Hill & Knowlton
Current Position
Secretary Norman Y. Mineta is Vice Chairman of Hill & Knowlton based in its Washington, DC office where Mineta provides counsel and strategic advice to Hill & Knowlton clients on a wide range of business and political issues.
Secretary Mineta is well known for his work in the areas of transportation – including aviation, surface transportation, and infrastructure – and national security. He is also recognized for his accomplishments in economic development, science and technology policy, foreign and domestic trade, the environment, budgetary issues and civil rights.
Prior History
Secretary Mineta’s career in public service has been both distinguished and unique. He brings a wealth of experience and insight to Hill & Knowlton and its clients, as well as the perspective of having served in Congress for over twenty years and the Cabinet of both Republican and Democratic presidents.
For almost thirty years, Mineta represented San Jose, California – the heart of Silicon Valley – first on the City Council, then as Mayor, and then from 1975 to 1995 as a Member of Congress. Throughout that time, Mineta was an advocate of the burgeoning technology industry. He worked to encourage new industries and spur job growth, and he supported the development of the infrastructure to accommodate the industry and its tremendous growth.
Mineta served as the Chairman of the House Transportation and Public Works Committee from 1992 to 1994, after having chaired the Subcommittee on Aviation and the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation.
Mineta was the primary author of the groundbreaking ISTEA legislation – the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.
In 2000, Mineta was appointed by President Bill Clinton as the United States Secretary of Commerce. At the Department of Commerce, Mineta was known for his work on technology issues, for achieving international cooperation and intergovernmental coordination on complex fisheries issues, and streamlining the patent and trademark process.
Secretary Mineta was appointed the United States Secretary of Transportation by President George W. Bush in 2001, where he served until he joined Hill & Knowlton in July 2006. Following the horrific terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, Secretary Mineta guided the creation of the Transportation Security Administration – an agency with more than 65,000 employees – the largest mobilization of a new federal agency since World War II.
Secretary Mineta was Vice President of Lockheed Martin before joining the Commerce Department, where he oversaw the first successful implementation of the EZ-Pass system in New York State.
Other Information
Among his numerous accomplishments, Secretary Mineta, while in Congress, was the co-founder of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and Chair of the National Civil Aviation Review Commission in 1997. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley.
Secretary Mineta is married to Danealia (Deni) Mineta and has two sons, David K. Mineta and Stuart S. Mineta, and two step-sons, Robert M. Brantner and Mark Brantner.
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