# United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce

The United States deputy secretary of commerce is a high-ranking position within the U.S. Department of Commerce. It was created on December 13, 1979, when President Jimmy Carter sent a letter to the U.S. Senate and nominated Luther H. Hodges Jr., who then currently held the title of under secretary of commerce. The deputy secretary serves as the department’s chief operating officer, with responsibility for the day-to-day management of its approximately $11.4 billion budget, 13 operating units, and 46,000 employees. In that capacity, the deputy secretary is also a member of the President’s Management Council. The most recent deputy secretary was Don Graves, who was sworn in on May 14, 2021 and resigned January 20, 2025.

## History

The deputy secretary serves as the principal deputy of the secretary of commerce in all matters affecting the department and performs continuing and special duties as the secretary may assign including, as may be specified by the secretary, the exercise of policy direction and general supervision over operating units not placed under other Secretarial Officers or other Department officials. In addition, the deputy secretary acts as secretary if the secretary has died, resigned, or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office of secretary.
Rebecca M. Blank was the deputy secretary of commerce until she stepped down on May 31, 2013. She was confirmed by unanimous consent by the U.S. Senate in March 2012. She had been serving as acting deputy secretary since November 18, 2010. She replaced Dennis F. Hightower, who was deputy secretary of commerce from August 2009 to August 2010.
Patrick D. Gallagher was appointed acting deputy secretary on June 1, 2013. Bruce H. Andrews was confirmed as the next deputy secretary on July 24, 2014.

## List of deputy secretaries of commerce

| # | Name | Term began | Term ended | President(s) served under |
| 1 | Sidney Harman | January 26, 1977 | August 28, 1980 | Jimmy Carter |
| 2 | Luther H. Hodges Jr. | September 8, 1980 | January 20, 1981 | Jimmy Carter |
| 3 | Joseph Robert Wright Jr. | January 29, 1981 | August 23, 1982 | Ronald Reagan |
| 4 | Guy W. Fiske | August 24, 1982 | May 20, 1983 | Ronald Reagan |
| 5 | Bud Brown | May 20, 1983 | July 12, 1988 | Ronald Reagan |
| 6 | Donna F. Tuttle | July 12, 1988 | January 20, 1989 | Ronald Reagan |
| 7 | Thomas J. Murrin | February 11, 1989 | April 17, 1991 | George H. W. Bush |
| 8 | Rockwell A. Schnabel | April 25, 1991 | January 20, 1993 | George H. W. Bush |
| 9 | David J. Barram | January 27, 1993 | May 14, 1996 | Bill Clinton |
| 10 | Robert L. Mallett | May 14, 1997 | January 20, 2001 | Bill Clinton |
| 11 | Samuel Bodman | January 22, 2001 | July 16, 2004 | George W. Bush |
| 12 | Theodore Kassinger | August 20, 2004 | July 21, 2005 | George W. Bush |
| 13 | David A. Sampson | July 25, 2005 | August 30, 2007 | George W. Bush |
| 14 | John J. Sullivan | September 1, 2007 | March 14, 2008 | George W. Bush |
| 14 | John J. Sullivan | March 14, 2008 | January 20, 2009 | George W. Bush |
| 15 | Dennis Hightower | August 11, 2009 | August 27, 2010 | Barack Obama |
| 16 | Rebecca Blank | November 28, 2010 | March 29, 2012 | Barack Obama |
| 16 | Rebecca Blank | March 29, 2012 | June 1, 2013 | Barack Obama |
| – | Patrick D. Gallagher Acting | June 1, 2013 | July 24, 2014 | Barack Obama |
| 17 | Bruce H. Andrews | July 24, 2014 | January 20, 2017 | Barack Obama |
| 18 | Karen Dunn Kelley | September 22, 2017 | November 28, 2018 | Donald Trump |
| 18 | Karen Dunn Kelley | November 28, 2018 | January 20, 2021 | Donald Trump |
| – | Wynn Coggins Acting | March 3, 2021 | May 14, 2021 | Joe Biden |
| 19 | Don Graves | May 14, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | Joe Biden |
| – | Jeremy Pelter Acting | February 21, 2025 | Incumbent | Donald Trump |