Federico Peña
Federico Fabian Peña | |
|---|---|
| File:Federico pena.JPG | |
| 12th United States Secretary of Transportation | |
| In office January 21, 1993 – February 14, 1997 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Andrew Card |
| Succeeded by | Rodney E. Slater |
| 8th United States Secretary of Energy | |
| In office March 12, 1997 – June 30, 1998 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Hazel R. O'Leary |
| Succeeded by | Bill Richardson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 15, 1947 Laredo, Texas |
| Spouse | Cindy Velasquez (previously married to Ellen Hart Pena) |
| Children | Nelia Pena Cristina Pena Ryan Pena |
| Alma mater | University of Texas-Austin |
Federico Fabian Peña (born March 15, 1947) was United States Secretary of Transportation from 1993 to 1997 and United States Secretary of Energy from 1997 to 1998, during the presidency of Bill Clinton.
Born in Laredo, Texas, Peña earned a B.A. (1969) and a J.D. (1972) from the University of Texas at Austin and The University of Texas School of Law. Moving to Colorado, where he became a practicing attorney, Peña was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1979, where he rose to become Minority Leader. In 1983, Peña defeated a 14-year incumbent, William H. McNichols, Jr. to become the first Hispanic Mayor of Denver, a post to which he was re-elected in 1987.
Peña advised Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton on transportation issues during Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign, and Clinton chose Peña to head the United States Department of Transportation. Although he had intended to leave Clinton's cabinet after a single term, Peña also served as Secretary of Energy for one year, from 1997 to 1998[1]. In 1995 he came under investigation for awarding State and federal contracts to companies in which he had a financial interest. On March 17, 1995 Janet Reno ended the investigation.[2]
Upon leaving the Clinton administration, Peña returned to Denver and joined investment firm Vestar Capital Partners in August 1998, as Senior Advisor. On January 18, 2000, Vestar announced that Peña had been promoted to one of the firm's Managing Directors.[3]
Peña Boulevard, a freeway in Denver connecting Denver International Airport to Interstate 70, is named for him. As mayor of Denver, Peña led the effort to build the airport.
Peña is the father of three children: Nelia, Cristina, and Ryan Peña. The divorce of Federico Peña and his first wife, Ellen Hart Peña, became final on September 10, 2001. Federico Peña married Cindy Velasquez on September 2, 2006. Cindy Velasquez is a former broadcast executive for Channel 7, KMGH-TV, and Channel 9, KUSA-TV, in Denver, Colorado.
Peña is also known for the case Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Peña, 515 U.S. 200 (1995), which overruled Metro Broadcasting v. FCC, 497 U.S. 547 (1990), and held that all cases dealing with racial classifications must be reviewed using "strict scrutiny."
On September 7, 2007, Peña announced that he would endorse Sen. Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, and also serve as Obama's National Campaign Co-chair. The move was notable in that Peña did not endorse Sen. Hillary Clinton, the wife of the president under whom he served. [4]
References
- ^ Pena Resigns as Energy Secretary, Citing Concerns for Family, NY Times, April 7, 1998 [1]
- ^ Secretary of Transportation Will Not Face a Prosecutor, NY Times, March 17, 1995 [2]
- ^ http://www.vestarcapital.com/news/details.aspx?id=178
- ^ CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Clinton cabinet member backs Obama « - Blogs from CNN.com
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