Press Release

Commerce Department Announces Key Legislative Affairs Appointments

WASHINGTON—The Commerce Department today announced several key legislative and intergovernmental affairs staff appointments. They join recently confirmed Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs April Boyd.

“I’m confident this capable team will build on the strong relationships they have with members of Congress and governors and mayors throughout our country to help the Commerce Department further President Obama’s agenda,” Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. “We will work to grow local economies and put people back to work by fostering innovation and opening markets to U.S. products and services.”

See below for the full list of appointments announced today.

Daraka Satcher—Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs
Satcher’s management skills and his relationships with members of Congress and their staffs will be critical assets for the Commerce Department. He most recently served as Chief of Staff to Georgia U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson. He previously worked as legislative director to Congressman Harold Ford and legislative assistant to Senator Debbie Stabenow and Congressman John Spratt. Satcher grew up in Nashville and holds degrees from Morehouse College and Emory University School of Law.

William A. Ramos—Director of Intergovernmental Affairs
Ramos most recently served as director of the Washington office of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund. He previously served as a government relations and policy consultant for the YMCA of the USA. Ramos also worked as Director of Government Relations for America’s Promise. He spent five years as the director of policy and legislation for the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners and worked as a fellow in the King County Executive’s office with the National Urban Fellows Program. Ramos has worked in the Latino community and in communities of color for over two decades. Ramos earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Florida International University in 1985 and a Master of Public Administration at Bernard Baruch College – City University of New York in 2006.

Courtney Gregoire—Director of Legislative Affairs
Gregoire’s understanding of legislative procedure and substantive experience with international trade, economic development and NOAA budget and policy issues will be valuable assets for the Commerce Department. Gregoire recently served as legislative director and chief counsel for Senator Maria Cantwell. In that capacity, she developed and implemented the legislative agenda for Senator Cantwell in her roles on the Commerce, Finance, and Energy committees, and as Chair of the Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and the Coast Guard. She previously served as a fellow for United States Senator Max Baucus, and a policy assistant with the White House Domestic Policy Council. Gregoire graduated from Willamette University and Harvard Law School, and in 2000, was named a Harry S. Truman Scholar.

Andrew Su—Legislative Specialist
Su joined the House Energy and Commerce Committee staff when Chairman Henry Waxman took the helm of the committee. Prior to that, Su spent 12 years with Waxman on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which has primary jurisdiction over the census bureau and interagency matters. Su holds a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University.

Victoria Tung—Legislative Specialist
Tung has a distinguished background in domestic policy issues and served as the first executive director of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) for the last four years. In this capacity, she worked with 23 members of the bi-partisan and bi-cameral organization to advance the voice of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.Prior to her work with CAPAC, she worked for two years as a congressional fellow in Congressman Mike Honda’s office. Tung was listed as one of Capitol Hill’s top staffers in the National Journal’s “The Hill People” in 2007. Tung graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in International Affairs.

Jon Wright—Confidential Assistant
Wright served as the Obama campaign’s Florida deputy political director during the 2008 general election. During the primaries, he was the campaign’s Kentucky political director and worked field operations in Texas, New Mexico and Nevada. Wright also served as Governor Bill Richardson’s deputy field director in Iowa and Nevada during the caucuses in those states. Wright holds a J.D. from Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law and is a Kentucky native.