John Fernandez is an

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

politician, the former mayor of

Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the central region of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the seventh-largest city in Indiana and the fourth-largest outside the Indianapolis metropolitan area. According to the Mo ...

from 1995 to 2003. A graduate of

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

, he was nominated by President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

to the post of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, leading the

Economic Development Administration The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides grants and technical assistance to economically distressed communities in order to generate new employment, help retain exist ...

. Fernandez was sworn into office on September 14, 2009. As the Administrator of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA), Fernandez is charged with leading the federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the global economy. With over 13 years of executive experience, Fernandez has earned a reputation as a strategic thinker, creative problem solver and effective manager. Prior to his appointment, Fernandez led the new development and acquisition team at First Capital Group, an Indiana-based real estate investment firm. Fernandez played a critical role in expanding the firm's regional and national investment footprint. Fernandez also served as Of Counsel fo
Krieg DeVault LLP
an Indianapolis-based law firm, where he advised private and governmental organizations on

economic development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and ...

public finance Public finance is the study of the role of the government in the economy. It is the branch of economics that assesses the government revenue and government expenditure of the public authorities and the adjustment of one or the other to achiev ...

and policy issues. Fernandez served as

’s mayor from 1996 to 2003. With his leadership, Bloomington's economy thrived despite facing significant changes arising from the new global economy. Fernandez worked with business and

leaders to launch Bloomington's Life Sciences Partnership, securing more than $243 million in private investments and creating more than 3,700 jobs. He also developed an aggressive downtown revitalization plan resulting in more than $100 million in new investments. A first generation American, Fernandez received a Doctor of Law (J.D.) from

. He also earned a

Master of Public Affairs The master of public affairs (M.P.Aff., M.P.A. or MPA) is a master-level professional degree offered in public policy schools that provides training in public policy and the operation of government. Courses required for this degree educate stud ...

(M.P.A.) and

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

(B.S.) from Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

External links

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

Bloomingpedia John Fernandez

United States Department of Commerce officials Mayors of Bloomington, Indiana Living people 1953 births {{Indiana-mayor-stub