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	William M. Daley, Secretary of Commerce. William M. Daley was sworn in as the 32nd United States Secretary of Commerce on January 30, 1997.

SECRETARY OF COMMERCE WILLIAM M. DALEY

William M. Daley, the 32nd Secretary of Commerce, was nominated by President William J. Clinton on December 13, 1996, and confirmed by the Senate on January 30, 1997.

Described by President Clinton as a man of "rare effectiveness," Secretary Daley served as Special Counsel to the President for the North American Free Trade Agreement, coordinating the successful campaign to guide passage of the historic trade accord through Congress.

In accepting the nomination, Mr. Daley said he was committed to working "in partnership with American businesses, from Fortune 500 companies to small enterprises, in our inner cities and rural America, to help our nation face the challenges and seize the opportunities that lie ahead."

Mr. Daley said "the Commerce Department is where America's potential and promise come together, where our future jobs are created and our economic growth is nurtured through trade, technology and information."

Secretary Daley has set a broad and aggressive agenda that ranges from doubling the number of small business exporters to modernizing the weather service to making the 2000 census the best in our nation's history to maintaining U.S. leadership in advanced technologies.

Secretary Daley, a long-time Chicago civil and business leader, was a partner in the law firm of Mayer, Brown & Platt. He was president and chief operating officer of Amalgamated Bank of Chicago from 1990 to 1993, after joining the bank as vice chairman in 1989. He also practiced law with the firm of Daley and George of Chicago.

Secretary Daley has served on corporate boards and been active in many Chicago community and civic projects. His professional honors include the St. Ignatius Award for Excellence in the Practice of Law in 1994 and the 1994 World Trade Award presented by the World Trade Center Chicago.

Secretary Daley was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1975. He holds an LL.B from John Marshall Law School, Chicago; a B.A. from Loyola University; and an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from John Marshall Law School.

Secretary Daley and his wife Loretta have two daughters and a son.