IN CELEBRATION: A DECADE OF FIRSTS
APAICS 10th ANNUAL GALA DINNER HONORS
NORMAN Y. MINETA

Norman Y. Mineta became the 14th U.S. Secretary of Transportation on January 25, 2001. In nominating him, President Bush said, "Norm made a reputation in the halls of Congress as someone who understands that a sound infrastructure in America will lead to economic opportunity for all Americans."

As Secretary of Transportation, Mineta oversees an agency with 60,000 employees and a $56.3 billion budget. Created in 1967, the U.S. Department of Transportation brought under one umbrella air, maritime and surface transportation missions.

In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Secretary Mineta oversaw the creation of the Transportation Security Administration, an agency of more than 60,000 employees that is fulfilling its goal of protecting Americans as they travel. Secretary Mineta led a team that met 36 Congressional mandates while developing a fully functioning agency that restored air travelers' confidence in aviation security. The Transportation Security Administration was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.

Secretary Mineta also oversaw the Coast Guard's response to the terrorist attacks, including developing the Sea Marshal Program, Maritime Safety and Security Teams, and expanding the number and mission of Coast Guard Port Security Units.

Prior to joining President Bush's administration as Secretary of Transportation, Mineta served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President Clinton, becoming the first Asian Pacific Islander American to serve in a cabinet. He is the first Secretary of Transportation to have previously served in a cabinet position. Prior to joining the Commerce Department, he was a vice president at Lockheed Martin Corporation.

From 1975 to 1995, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the heart of California 's Silicon Valley . As a member of Congress, Mineta was known for his dedication to the people of his district, for consensus building among his colleagues and for forging public-private partnerships. Mineta's legislative and policy agenda was wide and varied, including major projects in the areas of economic development, science and technology policy, trade, transportation, the environment, intelligence, the budget and civil rights. He founded the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. He also co-founded the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies and served as its first chair.

Mineta and his family were among the 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry forced from their homes and into internment camps during World War II. After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley , Mineta joined the Army in 1953 and served as an intelligence officer in Japan and Korea . He joined his father in the Mineta Insurance Agency before entering politics in San Jose , serving as a member of its City Council from 1967 to 1971 and mayor from 1971 to 1974, becoming the first Asian Pacific Islander American mayor of a major U.S. city. While in Congress, Mineta was the driving force behind passage of H.R. 442, the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which officially apologized for and redressed the injustices endured by Japanese Americans during the War.

Mineta is married to Danealia (Deni) Mineta. He has two sons, David and Stuart Mineta, and two stepsons, Robert and Mark Brantner.