Juanita M. Kreps, American economist and politician, 24th United States Secretary of Commerce (died 2010)
Juanita M. Kreps
Clara Juanita Morris Kreps was an American economist, educator and businesswoman who served as the 24th United States secretary of commerce under President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1979. A member of the Democratic Party, Kreps was the first woman to hold that post and the fourth female ever to serve in a presidential cabinet.
United States Secretary of Commerce
The United States secretary of commerce (SecCom) is the head of the United States Department of Commerce. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to commerce. The secretary reports directly to the president and is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States. The secretary is appointed by the president, with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. The secretary of commerce is responsible for promoting American businesses and industries. The department states its mission as 'to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce of the United States'.