“My parents, fleeing a repressive regime in the Dominican Republic, were embraced by this country and taught us to love it in return. After my father served proudly in the U.S. Army, they settled in Buffalo, N.Y., and were able to live the American Dream.”

American politician and attorney

Thomas Edward Perez is an American politician and attorney. He served in senior roles in the Obama and Biden administrations, and from 2023 to 2025 he was senior advisor to President Joe Biden and director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Perez earlier served as U.S. secretary of labor from 2013 to 2017, chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2017 to 2021, and U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights from 2009 to 2013. His public work has centered on labor, civil rights, and political leadership.