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Don Graves
DonGravesOfficialPortrait.jpg
Official portrait, 2021
19th United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce
In office
May 14, 2021 – January 20, 2025
President Joe Biden
Preceded by Karen Dunn Kelley
Succeeded by TBC
Personal details
Political party Democratic
Education Williams College (BA)
Georgetown University (JD)

Don Graves is an American lawyer who has worked in important government roles. He served as the Deputy Secretary of Commerce for the United States. This means he helped lead the U.S. Department of Commerce. He worked in the Biden administration from 2021 to 2025. Before that, he helped lead a big project called the Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot. He also worked for former Vice President Joe Biden during the Obama administration.

Early Life and Education

Don Graves grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, on the city's East Side. He went to Williams College and earned a degree in political science and history. Later, he studied law at the Georgetown University Law Center. He earned a law degree there.

Don Graves' Career

Don Graves has had a long career helping people and businesses. He has worked in both government and private companies. His work often focused on making communities stronger and helping the economy.

Working in Government

Graves held several important jobs in the government. From 1997 to 1999, he was an advisor at the United States Department of the Treasury. This department manages the government's money.

During the time Barack Obama was president, Graves had many key roles. He helped lead a group called the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. This council worked to create more jobs and make the country's economy stronger. He also helped the city of Detroit recover economically.

Graves also worked closely with Vice President Joe Biden. He advised Biden on important issues related to the economy and domestic policy. He also helped small businesses and communities get financial support.

After the Obama Administration

After the Obama administration, Graves continued his work in different areas. In 2016, Vice President Biden chose him to lead the Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot. This project aimed to speed up cancer research and find new treatments. It was a very important effort to fight cancer.

Later, Graves worked at KeyBank. There, he focused on how the company could help communities. He worked on projects that supported local areas and showed the company's social responsibility.

Deputy Secretary of Commerce

In January 2021, President-elect Joe Biden announced he wanted Don Graves to be the United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce. This is a very high-ranking position. The Deputy Secretary helps lead the Department of Commerce. This department works to promote economic growth and job creation.

The United States Senate had to approve his nomination. On May 13, 2021, the Senate voted to confirm him. He officially started his new role the very next day. In this role, he helped guide policies that support American businesses and workers.

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