Federico Peña | |
|---|---|
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| 8thUnited 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 |
| 12thUnited States Secretary of Transportation | |
| In office January 21, 1993 – February 14, 1997 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Andrew Card |
| Succeeded by | Rodney E. Slater |
| 41st Mayor of Denver | |
| In office July 2, 1983 – July 15, 1991 | |
| Preceded by | William H. McNichols Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Wellington Webb |
| Member of theColorado House of Representatives | |
| In office January 3, 1979 – July 2, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Ruben A. Valdez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Federico Fabian Peña (1947-03-15)March 15, 1947 (age 78) Laredo, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Texas, Austin (BA,JD) |
Federico Fabian Peña (born March 15, 1947) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 12thUnited States secretary of transportation from 1993 to 1997 and the 8thUnited States secretary of energy from 1997 to 1998, during the presidency ofBill Clinton. He previously served as the 41stmayor of Denver from 1983 to 1991.
Born inLaredo, Texas, Peña earned a Bachelor of Arts (1969) andJuris Doctor (1972) from theUniversity of Texas at Austin and theUniversity of Texas School of Law, respectively.
Moving toColorado, where he became a practicingattorney, Peña was elected to theColorado House of Representatives as aDemocrat in 1979, where he rose to becomeMinority Leader.
In 1983, Peña defeatedWilliam H. McNichols Jr., a 74-year old incumbent, to become the firstHispanicmayor of Denver, a post to which he was re-elected in 1987. During his time as mayor in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was instrumental in bringing theColorado Rockies baseball team toDenver in 1993.[1]
Peña advisedArkansas GovernorBill Clinton on transportation issues during Clinton's presidential transition and thereafter Clinton chose Peña to head theUnited States Department of Transportation.
In 1995 the Justice Department conducted a preliminary investigation into a California transit agency's awarding of a pension management contract to Peña's former investment management firm. However, Peña had severed all ties to his former company both prior to the contract and prior to becoming Transportation Secretary. On March 17, 1995Janet Reno ended the investigation.[2]
Although he had intended to leave Clinton'scabinet after a single term, Peña also served assecretary of energy from 1997 to 1998.[3] During his 18-month tenure, Peña led an organization of 16,000 direct employees with a budget of $18 billion. He developed the Clinton administration's Comprehensive National Energy Strategy and oversaw the largest privatization in the history of the U.S. Government—the $3.654 billion sale of theElk Hills Oil Field, formerly known as Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 1. He crafted the Clinton Administration's strategy for oil and gas development in the Caspian Sea region and supported U.S. energy companies' investments around the world.
Upon leaving the Clinton administration, Peña returned to Denver. In August 1998, he joined private equity firmVestar Capital Partners where he is a senior advisor.
Peña Boulevard, afreeway in Denver and neighboringAurora connectingDenver International Airport toInterstate 70, is named for him. As mayor of Denver, Peña led the effort to build the airport. In addition, Peña's vision ("Imagine a Great City") resulted in the revitalization of Denver economy with anew convention center, modernized Cherry Creek Shopping Center, neighborhood retail efforts, expanded library and performing arts center, and recruitment of the Colorado Rockies major league baseball team.[citation needed]
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 and has a daughter, Pilar.
Peña was a National Co-Chair of the COMPETE Coalition, an organization of energy stakeholders including large power generators, large retail power consumers and energy efficiency/smart grid groups. Today he serves on several corporate boards and is involved in several philanthropic organizations.
On September 7, 2007, Peña announced that he would endorse SenatorBarack Obama in the2008 presidential election, and also serve as Obama's National Campaign Co-chair. The move was notable in that Peña did not endorse SenatorHillary Clinton, the wife of the president under whom he served.[4] On November 5, 2008, he was named to the advisory board of theObama-Biden Transition Project.[5]
On October 26, 2011, Peña was elected to serve as a member of the Board of Directors ofWells Fargo.[6] Peña was appointed to theUniversity of Denver Board of Trustees in June 2015.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Mayor of Denver 1983–1991 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Secretary of Transportation 1993–1997 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Secretary of Energy 1997–1998 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Cabinet Member | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Cabinet Member | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Cabinet Member |
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